Background: Lung cancer is the most common neoplasm in Turkey, but there is not enough data on the characteristics of this mortal illness in our country. Objectives and Methods: The Turkish Thoracic Society, Lung and Pleural Malignancies Study Group (TTS-LPMSG) conducted a national retrospective hospital-based study to determine the pattern of lung cancer in Turkey. Results: A total of 11,849 lung cancer patients were studied between 1994 and 1998, 90.4% were male and 9.6% were female. The majority of patients were smokers (77.9%) or ex-smokers (10.8%). The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 58.4 years (20–84) and 56.7% of the patients were aged between 46 and 65 years. The most common histological types were squamous cell (45.4%), small cell (SCLC; 20.5%) and adenocarcinoma (20.2%). The majority of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer were diagnosed with metastatic disease (40.4%). Of the patients with SCLC patients, 37.9% had limited stage disease and 62.7% extensive stage disease at diagnosis. Conclusion: The results of the largest data so far collected in Turkey show that the vast majority of patients with lung cancer are male, squamous cell is the most common histological type, and only a small proportion of patients are diagnosed at an early stage.

Keywords:
Lung cancer, Turkey, Smoking
1.
Parkin GM, Pisani P, Ferlay J: Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin 1999;49:33–64.
2.
Nesbit JC, Lee JS, Komaki R, Roth JC: Cancer of the lung; in Holland JF, Frei E, Bast RC, Kufe DW, Morton DL, Weichselbaum RR (eds): Cancer Medicine. Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1997, pp 1723–1805.
3.
Postmus PE: Epidemiology of lung cancer; in Fishman AP, Elias JA, Fishman JA, Grippi MA, Kaiser LR, Senior RM (eds): Fishman’s Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders. New York, McGraw Hill, 1998, pp 1707–1719.
4.
Turkish Health Ministry: Smoking Habits and Attitudes of Turkish Population towards Smoking and Antismoking Campaigns. Ankara, PIAR, 1988.
5.
World-Health Organization: Tobacco or Health: A Global Status Report. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1997.
6.
Turkish Health Ministry: Cancer Registry Report of Turkey 1993–1994. Ankara, Ministry of Health, Department of Cancer Control, 1997.
7.
Fidaner C, Eser SY, Parkin DM: Incidence in Izmir in 1993–1994: First results from Izmir Cancer Registry. Eur J Cancer 2001;37/1:83–92.
8.
World Health Organization: Histological Typing of Lung Tumours. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1981.
9.
Skuladttir H, Olsen JH, Hirsch FR: Incidence of lung cancer in Denmark: Historical and actual status. Lung Cancer 2000;20:107–118.
10.
Gürsel G, Levent E, Öztürk C, Karalezli A: Hospital based survey of lung cancer in Turkey, a developing country, where smoking is highly prevalent. Lung Cancer 1998;21:127–132.
11.
Yazıcıoglu S, Olcayto R, Balcı F, Saylı BS: Pleural calcification, pleural mesotheliomas and bronchial cancers caused by tremolite dust. Thorax 1980;35:564–569.
12.
Hubbard R, Venn A, Lewis S, Britton J: Lung cancer and cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis. A population-based cohort study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2000;161/1:5–8.
13.
Ferlugo D, Rott T, Rutar-Zupancic M: Pulmonary scar cancer and tumourlet. Prax Klin Pneumol 1979;33:15–21.
14.
Lee CT, Kang KH, Koh Y, Chang J, Chung HS, Park SK, Yoo KY, Song JS: Characteristics of lung cancer in Korea, 1997. Lung Cancer 2000;30:15–22.
15.
Peng D, Shen Y, Wang Z: Analysis on the surveillance materials of primary lung cancer from 1989 to 1994 in Shanghai. Respirology 1998;3s:A38.
16.
Travis WD, Lubin J, Ries L, Devesa S: United States lung carcinoma incidence trends. Cancer 1996;77:2464–2470.
17.
Tanaka I, Matsubara O, Kasuga T, Takemura T, Inoue M: Increasing incidence and changing histopathology of primary lung cancer in Japan. Cancer 1998;62:1035–1039.
18.
Charloux A, Rossignol M, Purohit A, Small D, Wolkove N, Pauli G, Quoix E, Kreisman H: International differences in epidemiology of lung adenocarcinoma. Lung Cancer 1997;16:133–143.
19.
Wynder EL, Hoffman D: Smoking and lung cancer: Scientific challenges and opportunities. Cancer Res 1994;54:5284–5295.
20.
Hoffman PC, Mauer AM, Vokes EE: Lung cancer. Lancet 2000;355:479–485.
21.
Landis SH, Murray T, Bolden S, Wingo PA: Cancer statistics, 1998. CA Cancer J Clin 1998;48:6–29.
22.
Adjei AA, Marks RS, Bonner JA: Current guidelines for the management of small cell lung cancer. Mayo Clin Proc 1999;74:809–816.
23.
American Society of Clinical Oncology: Clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of unresectable non-small cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol 1997;15:2996–3018.
© 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel
2002
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.