Cáncer pulmonar: caracterización, estadificación y supervivencia en una cohorte de una década en un hospital del sistema público de salud de Chile / Lung cancer at a Chilean public hospital

Background: Lung cancer is the world's leading cause of cancer death. Aim: To describe the clinical, staging and survival characteristics of lung cancer in a public Chilean regional hospital. Material and Methods: Analysis of a prospective database of a thoracic surgery service, retrieving histologically confirmed lung cancer cases from January 2010 to December 2019 and reviewing their medical records. Cases were re-staged by the TNM-8 system and variables were compared between periods 2010-2014 and 2015-2019. Results: We retrieved 551 lung cancer cases, 333 (60 %) men, with a mean age of 65 years. Distant metastases were found in 72% of cases (excluding lymphatic metastases). Of the non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), 50 (10%) cases were in stage I, 18 (4%) in stage II, 81 (16%) in stage III and 347 (70%) in stage IV. Global five-year survival was 18%, 20% for NSCLC, 71% for excised NSCLC, 8% for non-excised NSCLC, 88% for stage I and 92% for subgroup IA. Resective surgery was performed in 81 (14%) cases. When comparing 2010-2014 and 2015-2019 periods, the frequency of resective surgery increased from 7% to 20%. Conclusions: The diagnosis of lung cancer was frequently made in advanced stages. There was a significant increase in early diagnosis and frequency of surgeries with curative intent in the second observation period.

Evaluación de la calidad de vida de pacientes con cáncer de pulmón de células no pequeñas tratados con la vacuna CIMAvaxEGF® / Evaluation of quality of life in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with CIMAvaxEGF® vaccine

Este reporte corresponde al análisis de la calidad de vida de los pacientes que se incluyeron en el ensayo clínico fase III de evaluación de la vacuna CIMAvaxEGF® en cáncer de pulmón de células no pequeñas. La calidad de vida se evaluó empleando los cuestionarios EORTC QLQ-C30 y QLQ-C13, al inicio y cada 3 meses hasta el fallecimiento del paciente a criterio del investigador. Para comparar las medianas entre los dos grupos se utilizó la prueba no paramétrica de Mann-Whitney. Las comparaciones entre el nivel basal y los diferentes tiempos de seguimiento se realizaron a través de la prueba no paramétrica de Wilcoxon. El cuestionario QLQ-C30 evidenció un beneficio en cuanto a calidad de vida para el grupo vacunado con la vacuna CIMAvaxEGF® en las escalas funcionales (global, rol y social), en las escalas de síntomas de la enfermedad y del tratamiento (dolor) se observó que mejora la calidad de los mismos a favor de los pacientes tratados con la vacuna CIMAvaxEGF®. El cuestionario QLQ-C13, también evidenció ventajas para el grupo vacunado desde el punto de vista de beneficio clínico en los síntomas (disnea, disfagia, alopecia y dolor en el pecho). Se señala como significativo que disminuye la hemoptisis y la tos en el grupo vacunado, observándose un empeoramiento en el grupo control(AU)

This report corresponds to quality of life analysis of patient with non-small cell lung cancer included in the phase III clinical trials Evaluation of CIMAvaxEGF® vaccine in lung cancer. The quality of life was evaluate using the EORTC questionnaires QLQ-C30 y QLQ-C13, at the beginning and every 3 months. To compare the median between two groups the Mann-Whitney non-parametric test was used. To compare the baseline and different follows times the Wilcoxon non-parametric test was used. The QLQ-C30 questionnaire showed a benefit in terms of the quality of life for the CIMAvaxEGF® vaccine group on the functional scores (global, role and social) and symptoms of the disease (pain). The QLQ-LC13 questionnaire showed a benefit in terms of the quality of life for the CIMAvaxEGF® vaccine group on the symptoms scores (dyspnea, dysphagia, alopecia and chest pain). It is noted as significant that the hemoptysis decreases in the group vaccinated as well as the dysphagia, the cough and the dyspnea observing a worsening in the control group(AU)

Uso de la vacuna CIMAvax-EGF® como práctica médica habitual / Use of the vaccine CIMAvax-EGF® as habitual medical practice

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y longitudinal de 58 pacientes con cáncer de pulmón de células no pequeñas, atendidos en la consulta de Sombras Pulmonares correspondiente al Servicio de Neumología del Hospital General Docente Dr Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso de Santiago de Cuba, desde enero del 2013 hasta igual mes del 2018, quienes eran tratados con CIMAvax-EGF® como práctica médica habitual, con vistas a determinar las características clinicoepidemiológicas de estos. En la serie primaron el sexo masculino y las edades de 60 a 79 años; asimismo, resultaron más frecuentes la etapa IV de la enfermedad y el adenocarcinoma como variedad histológica. Con el uso de la vacuna la mayoría de los pacientes presentaron una supervivencia de 12,9 meses y una respuesta terapéutica de enfermedad no progresora

A descriptive and longitudinal study of 58 patients with lung cancer of non small cells, assisted in the service of Lung Shades corresponding to the Pneumology Service of Dr Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso Teaching General Hospital was carried out in Santiago de Cuba, from January, 2013 to the same month of 2018, who were treated with CIMAvax-EGF® as habitual medical practice, with the aim of determining the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of them. The male sex and ages from 60 to 79 years prevailed in the series; also, stage IV of the disease and the adenocarcinoma as histological variety were more frequent. With the use of the vaccine most of the patients presented a survival of 12.9 months and a therapeutic response of the non progressive disease

Lung cancer: changes in histology, gender, and age over the last 30 years in Brazil / Câncer de pulmão: mudanças na histologia, sexo e idade nos últimos 30 anos no Brasil

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the trends in tumor histology, gender and age among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with lung resection. The histology of lung cancer has changed in developed countries, and there is still little information available on the topic for developing countries. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 1,030 patients with NSCLC treated with lung resection between 1986 and 2015 at a university hospital in southern Brazil. Differences in histology, stage, and type of surgery were analyzed by gender and for three periods (1986-1995, 1996-2005, and 2006-2015). Results: Most (64.5%) of the patients were males, and the main histological types were squamous cell carcinoma (in 40.6%) and adenocarcinoma (in 44.5%). The mean age at surgery during the first period was 56.4 years for women and 58.9 years for men, compared with 62.2 for women and 64.6 for men in the third period (p < 0.001). The proportion of females increased from 26.6% in the first period to 44.1% in the third. From the first to the third period, the proportion of patients with squamous cell carcinoma decreased from 49.6% to 34.8% overall (p < 0.001), decreasing to an even greater degree (from 38.9% to 23.2%) among men. Among the NSCLC patients in our sample, females with adenocarcinoma accounted for 11.9% in the first period and 24.0% in the third period (p < 0.001). Conclusions: As has been seen in developed countries, the rates of lung cancer in females in southern Brazil have been rising over the last three decades, although they have yet to surpass those observed for males in the region. The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma has decreased in males, approaching adenocarcinoma rates, whereas adenocarcinoma has significantly increased among women.

RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever as tendências da histologia do tumor, do gênero e da idade em pacientes com câncer de pulmão de células não pequenas (CPCNP) tratados com ressecção pulmonar. A histologia do câncer de pulmão mudou em países desenvolvidos, e ainda há pouca informação disponível sobre o tema em países em desenvolvimento. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo com 1.030 pacientes com CPCNP tratados através de ressecção pulmonar entre 1986 e 2015 em um hospital universitário no sul do Brasil. As diferenças em histologia, estádio e tipo de cirurgia foram analisadas por gênero e em três períodos (1986-1995, 1996-2005 e 2006-2015). Resultados: A maioria dos pacientes (64,5%) era do sexo masculino, e os principais tipos histológicos foram carcinoma de células escamosas (40,6%) e adenocarcinoma (44,5%). A média de idade à cirurgia durante o primeiro período foi de 56,4 anos para mulheres e de 58,9 anos para homens, enquanto essa foi de 62,2 para mulheres e 64,6 para homens no terceiro período (p < 0,001). A proporção de mulheres aumentou de 26,6% no primeiro período para 44,1% no terceiro. Do primeiro ao terceiro período, a proporção de pacientes com carcinoma de células escamosas diminuiu de 49,6% para 34,8% no total (p < 0,001), diminuindo para um grau ainda maior (de 38,9% para 23,2%) entre os homens. Entre os pacientes com CPCNP em nossa amostra, mulheres com adenocarcinoma representaram 11,9% no primeiro período e 24,0% no terceiro período (p < 0,001). Conclusões: Como se observa em países desenvolvidos, as taxas de câncer de pulmão em mulheres no sul do Brasil têm aumentado nas últimas três décadas, embora ainda não tenham superado as observadas em homens na região. Entre homens no sul do Brasil, a incidência de carcinoma de células escamosas diminuiu, aproximando-se a de adenocarcinoma. A incidência de adenocarcinoma entre mulheres no sul do Brasil aumentou significativamente.

Epidemiological profile and prognostic factors in patients with lung cancer / Perfil epidemiológico e fatores prognósticos em pacientes com câncer de pulmão

SUMMARY Objective: To describe the epidemiological profile of patients with lung cancer treated at a public tertiary referral hospital specializing in oncology, and to explore variables that may be related to the overall survival (OS) of these patients. Method: Data from the medical records of all patients with invasive lung cancer consecutively seen at the Oncology Department of Hospital Estadual Mário Covas between August 2008 and December 2013 were extracted. The information obtained was submitted to statistical analysis. Results: Of the total 210 patients, 39 were excluded from analysis due to lack of information in the medical record. The most common histological type was adenocarcinoma, representing 39.41% of the sample, followed by squamous cell carcinoma with 25.29% and small-cell carcinoma with 13.53%. Other histological types were responsible for the remaining 21.76%. There was a statistically significant association between Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≤ 70%, palliative chemotherapy lines performed and stage at diagnosis, and OS. Additionally, administration of target therapy to patients with EGFR mutation was associated with significantly better overall survival. However, analysis of laboratory variables (hemoglobin, albumin and LDH) as possible prognostic factors for survival showed no statistically significant relationship. Among patients with stage III and IV, the median OS was 10.1 months. Conclusion: The risk factors for shorter OS were KPS score ≤ 70%, less than two lines of palliative chemotherapy, and stage III and IV at diagnosis. The implementation of CT screening for risk patients may allow earlier diagnosis of cases and improve these results.

RESUMO Objetivo: traçar o perfil epidemiológico de pacientes com câncer de pulmão atendidos em hospital público terciário de referência em oncologia e explorar variáveis que possam estar relacionadas com a sobrevida global (SG) desses pacientes. Método: foram extraídos dados dos prontuários de todos os pacientes com câncer de pulmão invasivo, entre agosto de 2008 e dezembro de 2013, atendidos consecutivamente no Serviço de Oncologia do Hospital Estadual Mário Covas. As informações obtidas foram submetidas à análise estatística. Resultados: do total de 210 pacientes, 39 foram excluídos da análise pela ausência de informações no prontuário. O tipo histológico mais frequente foi o adenocarcinoma, representando 39,41% da amostra, seguido do carcinoma espinocelular com 25,29% e de pequenas células com 13,53%. Outros tipos histológicos foram responsáveis pelos 21,76% restantes. Houve associação com significância estatística entre KPS ≤ 70%, linhas de quimioterapia paliativa realizadas e estágio ao diagnóstico com SG. A administração de terapia-alvo direcionada para pacientes com mutação do EGFR foi significativamente associada à melhor SG. A análise das variáveis laboratoriais (hemoglobina, albumina e desidrogenase lática – DHL) como possíveis fatores prognósticos de sobrevida não mostrou relação estatisticamente significativa. Entre os pacientes em estágio III e IV, a SG mediana foi de 10,1 meses. Conclusão: os fatores de risco para menor SG foram KPS ≤ 70%, menos de duas linhas de quimioterapia paliativa e estágios III e IV ao diagnóstico. A implementação do rastreamento tomográfico de pacientes de risco poderá permitir o diagnóstico mais precoce e a melhora desses resultados.

Interactive Effect of Smoking and NQO1 Haplotypes on Lung Cancer Risk

The role of genetic polymorphisms of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), which is known to be related to carcinogen metabolism and oxidative status, was evaluated for lung cancer development. The genotypes of two NQO1 polymorphisms, namely, IVS1-27C>G and Ex6+40C>T, were determined in 616 lung cancer cases and 616 lung cancer-free controls and haplotypes composed of the two polymorphisms were estimated. In the evaluation of the effect of the NQO1 genotypes or diplotypes, we did not find any significant association with lung cancer risk after adjusting for body mass index and smoking status. However, when we evaluated the effect of the NQO1 diplotypes for lung cancer risk in combination with smoking, smokers without the C-T/C-T diplotype showed a significantly increased risk of lung cancer compared with nonsmokers without the C-T/C-T diplotype (adjusted OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.67-3.02), and smokers with the C-T/C-T diplotype showed the highest OR of lung cancer (adjusted OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.78-4.21). Moreover, a trend test showed an additive interaction between smoking and the NQO1 C-T/C-T diplotype (P(trend) < 0.01). The additive effect of smoking and the NQO1 C-T/C-T diplotype was more apparent in squamous cell carcinoma, although this effect was statistically significant in all lung cancer cell types (all cell types, P(trend) < 0.05). This result suggests that haplotypes of the NQO1 gene play an important role in the development of lung cancer by interaction with smoking.

Survival and prognostic factors in patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer treated in private health care / Sobrevida e fatores prognósticos em pacientes com câncer de pulmão de células não pequenas assistidos na saúde suplementar

INTRODUCTION: Outcomes data on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) are scarce with regard to the private health care in Brazil. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics, treatments performed, and the survival of patients with NSCLC in a Brazilian private oncologic institution. METHODS: Medical charts from patients treated between 1998 and 2010 were reviewed, and data were transferred to a clinical research form. Long-term follow-up and survival estimates were enabled through active surveillance. RESULTS: Five hundred sixty-six patients were included, and median age was 65 years. Most patients were diagnosed in advanced stages (79.6% III/IV). The overall survival was 19.0 months (95%CI 16.2 - 21.8). The median survival was 99.7, 32.5, 20.2, and 13.3 months for stages I, II, III, and IV, respectively (p < 0.0001). Among patients receiving palliative chemotherapy, the median survival was 12.2 months (95%CI 10.0 - 14.4). CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes described are favorably similar to the current literature from developed countries. Besides the better access to health care in the private insurance scenario, most patients are still diagnosed in late stages. .

INTRODUÇÃO: Dados de desfechos em câncer de pulmão de células não pequenas (CPCNP) são escassos no contexto da saúde suplementar no Brasil. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as características, tratamentos realizados e a sobrevida desses pacientes em uma instituição oncológica privada brasileira. MÉTODOS: Foram revisados os prontuários de pacientes atendidos entre 1998 e 2010 com diagnóstico de CPCNP. Os dados foram transferidos para uma ficha clínica individual e posteriormente analisados. Pacientes ou familiares foram contatados a fim de otimizar o seguimento e a estimativa da sobrevida. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 566 pacientes, com idade mediana de 65 anos. Predominaram os diagnósticos em estádios avançados (79,6% III/IV). A sobrevida mediana foi de 19,0 meses (IC95% 16,2 - 21,8), sendo de 99,7, 32,5, 20,2 e de 13,3 meses nos estádios I, II, III e IV, respectivamente (p < 0,0001). Entre os pacientes que receberam quimioterapia paliativa, a sobrevida mediana foi de 12,2 meses (IC95% 10,0 - 14.4). CONCLUSÕES: Os desfechos encontrados se assemelham aos de países desenvolvidos. Apesar do maior acesso médico em pacientes com cobertura de planos de saúde, a maioria dos diagnósticos ocorre tardiamente. .

RET Fusion Genes in Korean Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Recently, rearranged during transfection (RET) fusions have been identified in approximately 1% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To know the prevalence of RET fusion genes in Korean NSCLCs, we examined the RET fusion genes in 156 surgically resected NSCLCs using a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Two KIF5B-RET fusions and one CCDC6-RET fusion were identified. All three patients were females and never smokers with adenocarcinomas. RET fusion genes were mutually exclusive from EGFR, KRAS mutations and EML4-ALK fusion. RET fusion genes occur 1.9% (3 of 156) of surgically treated NSCLC patients in Koreans.

Role of gender in the survival of surgical patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer

There are reports of greater survival rates in nonsmall cell lung cancer [NSCLC] patients of female gender. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of gender in survival of NSCLC patients treated surgically with curative intent [stage I/II]. In a retrospective cohort design, we screened 498 NSCLC patients submitted to thoracotomies at the hospital Sao Lucas, in Porto Alegre, Brazil from 1990 to 2009. After exclusion of patients that did not fit to all the inclusion criteria, we analyzed survival rates of 385 subjects. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox regression model was used to evaluate potential confounding factors. Survival rates at 5 and 10 years were 65.3% and 49.5% for women and 46.5% and 33.2% for men, respectively [P = 0.006]. Considering only stage I patients, the survival rates at 5 and 10 years were 76.2% and 55.1% for women and 50.7% and 35.4% for men, respectively [P = 0.011]. No significant differences in survival rates were found among stage II patients. Our results show female gender as a possible protective factor for better survival of stage I NSCLC patients, but not among stage II patients. This study adds data to the knowledge that combined both genders survival rates for NSCLC is not an adequate prognosis

The relevance of "Nonsmoking-associated lung cancer" in India: A single-centre experience.

Background: Lung cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer cause. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical profile and the epidemiological trends in lung cancer patients from a single centre with an emphasis on the smoking practices. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of 258 consecutive hospital in-patients with a proven diagnosis of lung cancer at a tertiary care oncology centre between 2003 and 2007. Results: The median age of patients in our study was 56 years; the male to female ratio was approximately 3.5:1. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was the predominant histology in 224 patients; the histology in the remaining 34 patients was small-cell carcinoma. Within NSCLC, the most common histology was adenocarcinoma followed by squamous cell carcinoma. One hundred and two patients were never-smokers as compared to 156 patients who were ever-smokers. Among the smokers, the majority of them were found to be cigarette smokers compared to 28.2% bidi smokers. There was a very significant correlation found with adenocarcinoma among nonsmokers, and with squamous cell carcinoma among the smokers compared to non-smokers. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the epidemiology of lung cancer in India is possibly changing, with close to 40% of our lung cancer patients being nonsmokers. More importantly, our study reflects the global trend of rise in adenocarcinoma histology. These observations need to be substantiated in similar studies of larger magnitude, preferably population-based.

Epidemiology of lung cancer in India: Focus on the differences between non-smokers and smokers: A single-centre experience.

Context: Lung cancer has varied epidemiology depending on the geographic region. Globally, there have been important changes in incidence trends amongst men and women, histology, and incidence in non-smokers. Indian epidemiological data on lung cancer is scarce. Aims: We set out to study the epidemiological patterns and clinical profile of lung cancer in India. Materials and Methods: We interviewed patients discussed in the thoracic oncology multidisciplinary meetings between 2008 and 2009. Demographic data, smoking history, place of residence, histology, stage at presentation, and treatment details were collected. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS. Results: There were 489 patients, with a median age of 56 years, of which 255 (52%) were non-smokers and 234 (48%) were smokers. One hundred and thirty-three patients had consumed smokeless tobacco. The male-to-female ratio was 3.5:1. Sixty-nine patients (14.1%) were incorrectly diagnosed and treated with anti-tuberculosis treatment, which delayed the diagnosis of lung cancer by four months. Eight percent of patients had small-cell carcinoma; of the 92% patients with non-small-cell carcinoma (NSCLC), the most common histology was adenocarcinoma (43.8%), followed by squamous cell (26.2%), large cell (2.1%) and other (8.3%). Eighteen percent of patients were diagnosed by cytology, therefore were diagnosed as NSCLC, without further histologic subtyping. Most patients (43%) were in Stage III at presentation. Lung followed by bone were the common sites of metastases. The majority of the patients (49%) received palliative chemotherapy. Among definitive therapy, concurrent chemo-radiation (13%) was offered more frequently than surgery (6%). Conclusion: Considerably higher numbers of Indian patients with lung cancer are non-smokers, compared to the West. The global trend of rise in adenocarcinoma is paralleled in India. Non-tobacco-related risk factors need further investigation.

Non-small cell lung cancer in never smokers: a clinical entity to be identified

OBJECTIVES: It has been recognized that patients with non-small cell lung cancer who are lifelong never-smokers constitute a distinct clinical entity. The aim of this study was to assess clinical risk factors for survival among neversmokers with non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: All consecutive non-small cell lung cancer patients diagnosed (n = 285) between May 2005 and May 2009 were included. The clinical characteristics of never-smokers and ever-smokers (former and current) were compared using chi-squared or Student's t tests. Survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank tests were used for survival comparisons. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was evaluated by adjusting for age (continuous variable), gender (female vs. male), smoking status (never- vs. ever-smoker), the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (continuous variable), histological type (adenocarcinoma vs. non-adenocarcinoma), AJCC staging (early vs. advanced staging), and treatment (chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy vs. the best treatment support). RESULTS: Of the 285 non-small cell lung cancer patients, 56 patients were never-smokers. Univariate analyses indicated that the never-smoker patients were more likely to be female (68 percent vs. 32 percent) and have adenocarcinoma (70 percent vs. 51 percent). Overall median survival was 15.7 months (95 percent CI: 13.2 to 18.2). The never-smoker patients had a better survival rate than their counterpart, the ever-smokers. Never-smoker status, higher Karnofsky Performance Status, early staging, and treatment were independent and favorable prognostic factors for survival after adjusting for age, gender, and adenocarcinoma in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiological differences exist between never- and ever-smokers with lung cancer. Overall survival among never-smokers was found to be higher and independent of gender and histological type.

TP53 Mutations in Korean Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Although TP53 mutations have been widely studied in lung cancer, the majority of studies have focused on exons 5-8 of the gene. In addition, TP53 mutations in Korean patients with lung cancers have not been investigated. We searched for mutations in the entire coding exons, including splice sites of the gene, in Korean patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Mutations of the gene were determined by direct sequencing in 176 NSCLCs. Sixty-nine mutations (62 different mutations) were identified in 65 tumors. Of the 62 mutations, 12 were novel mutations. TP53 mutations were more frequent in males, ever-smokers and squamous cell carcinomas than in females, never-smokers and adenocarcinomas, respectively (all comparisons, P<0.001). Missense mutations were most common (52.2%), but frameshift, nonsense, and splice-site mutations were frequently observed at frequencies of 18.8%, 15.9% and 10.1%, respectively. Of the 69 mutations, 9 (13.0%) were found in the oligomerization domain. In addition, the proportion of mutations in the oligomerization domain was significantly higher in adenocarcinomas than in squamous cell carcinomas (23.5% vs. 2.9%, P=0.01). Our study provides clinical and molecular characteristics of TP53 mutations in Korean patients with NSCLCs.

Patho-epidemiology of lung cancer in Karachi (1995-2002).

The objective of the study was to provide an overview of the demographics of lung cancer, the number one cancer killer of men in Karachi South (1995-2002). Lung cancer cases recorded at Karachi Cancer Registry during 1st January 1995 to 31st December 2004 were analyzed. To allow for maximum data completion, cases recorded from 1st January 1995 to 31st December 2002 were included for final analysis. Trends were studied by analyzing the age standardized incidence rates (ASR)s in 2 time periods, 1995-1997 and 1998-2002. Odds ratio for sex, age-groups, ethnicity, religion, and residence by socio-economic categories were calculated by considering all malignancies (except tobacco-associated malignancies) for each group, registered at KCR for the same period as controls. Cancer of the lung ranked the most frequent malignancy in men in Karachi in the entire 1995-2002 period, though it did not feature amongst the first 10 malignancies in the females. In the 1995-1997 period, the ASR per 100,000 population for cancer of the lung was 21.4 and 2.9 in males (M) and females (F) respectively. The mean age of the patients was 60.4 years (95% CI, 59.1-61.7) M and 53.7 years (95% CI 48.9-58.5) F. In the 1998-2002 period the incidence rate increased to 25.5 per 100,000 (M) and 4.2 per 100,000 (F). Thus between 1995 and 2002, the incidence of lung cancer registered a 19% increase in men and almost 100% in women. The component of adenocarcinoma in females remained stable during 8 years, but increased 55% in males. Histologic confirmation was 80%; majority of cancer cases presented as grade 3 and grade 4 lesions (62.3%), and were discovered at advanced stages (stage III 35.7%; stage IV 55.8%).The odds ratio (OR) in men was 4.5 (95% CI 3.7; 5.4). The risk of developing lung cancer increased with age, the highest risk being observed in the 65+ age group. A marginally higher risk was observed in the higher socio-economic categories for men and in the lower socio-economic categories for women. A higher risk was also observed for men who were residing along the coastal belt, and for ethnicities belonging to Southern Pakistan (Sindhi and Mohajir) residing in Karachi South. In conclusion, Pakistan at present falls into a low risk lung cancer region in females and a moderate risk region for males and the highest registered increase between 1995 and 2002 was observed in the older age groups (65+). It is however a cause of concern that the overall lung cancer incidence rates continue to rise. The age specific rates though stable in the younger age groups (35-49 years), are at present equivalent to contemporary rates in high- risk countries. These rates correspond with the trends of smoking prevalence in the younger age groups in the last 2 decades. Published studies have given alerts to increase in the smoking habits of the present day youngsters and with an expanding population the country can expect a substantial increase in lung cancer. This threat can only be averted by implementation of stringent anti-tobacco rules and health education; prohibition of smoking in educational institutions at all levels and a ban on the sale of cigarettes to minors.