Hyperfrequency of pulmonary cancer in a population of 415 patients treated for laryngeal cancer

Abstract

Four hundred fifteen patients with laryngeal cancer were treated mainly by primary irradiation from 1965 to 1983, at the Radium Centre of Odense. By December 31, 1983, a total of 32 patients had developed pulmonary cancer. The Danish Cancer Registry calculated the expected number of pulmonary cancer in a population of the same composition from the same period of time and the same geographical locale. A statistically significant hyperfrequency of pulmonary cancer among males was found, most pronounced among supraglottic cases: 6.73. Furthermore, a cumulative estimation of the risk of developing pulmonary cancer as a function of follow-up revealed a risk of 26% during the first 14 years of follow-up. The only effective way to solve the problem is to stop smoking.