LATE DIAGNOSIS OF LUNG CANCER: ANALYSIS OF BRONCHOSCOPIES IN A QUATERNARY HOSPITAL

Abstract

Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from malignant disease in the world, and the WHO estimates that the rate of appearance of new cases tends to increase, especially due to the increase in tobacco consumption. In general, patients with early-stage lung cancer are asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic, and for this reason most lung neoplasms are diagnosed at advanced stages. It is known that early diagnosis is a predictive factor of better prognosis and efficacy in treatment. Objective: To identify lung cancer diagnoses in bronchoscopies performed in 2019 and to relate the degree of staging of the neoplasms. Method: A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted by collecting data from the medical records of 226 fiberoptic bronchoscopy examinations with transbronchial biopsy performed in 2019. Chest CT scan reports of positive malignancy tests were surveyed and classified according to the degree of staging at the time of diagnosis. Patients whose medical records lacked information on histological type or did not have sufficient data for classification in the chest CT scan report were excluded from the study. Results: Of the 129 patients diagnosed with cancer, 73 were men and 56 women (ratio 1.3:1, respectively). The mean overall age of the patients at diagnosis was 64.8 years. Regarding non-small cell tumors, 72.9% of the total had an advanced stage that was inoperable at the time of diagnosis (IIIB-IV), compared to the early stages (IA-IIIA) Conclusion: The majority of patients with lung cancer had their diagnosis established at an advanced stage and inoperable (stages IIIB-IV). However, even with well-established and up-to-date guidelines for screening lung neoplasms, early diagnosis is still a challenge to promote treatments with a higher expectation of cure.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.041-026