Secondary Lung Tumors Research Articles

Operative and Pathologic Survey of 50 Cases of Peripheral Lung Tumors Scanned with 67 Gallium

Pulmonary scintiscanning with 67 gallium citrate allows the detection of nearly 100 percent of primary lung tumors. The method also permits visualization of mediastinal lymph node involvement. The scan picture, however, may give positive results also in granulomatous or inflammatory lesions. It therefore does not allow differentiation between neoplastic and nonmalignant diseases, or between primary or secondary lung tumors. The operative survey of 50 consecutive cases of peripheral lung masses and tumors showed agreement between positive scans and pathologic findings of malignant neoplasm in 94 percent of the cases while only 54 percent of those with definite nonmalignant disease had negative findings on scan. All cases showing hilar and mediastinal lymph node involvement had operative confirmation. No cases with pathologic findings of only hilar lymph node hyperplasia or simple anthracosis, on the contrary, had shown an uptake of the radionuclide outside the tumor. Scanning with 67 gallium seemed particularly useful to detect the presence of metastases involving either the regional lymph nodes or the mediastinum, and to show whether some radiologic pictures of suspected lymph node metastases are merely hyperplastic reactions.

Cardio-Respiratory Studies in Patients with Lung Tumors

SUMMARY 1)Cardiorespiratory studies in nine patients with primary tumors and six patients with metastatic lung lesions reveal a significant elevation in resting ventilation in the patients with primary lung tumors. This is associated with a significant decrease in the arterial pO 2 in the primary tumor group. 2)Bronchial arterial flow measurements ( BF) with primary tumors show a significant increase over metastatic lung tumors. 3)Three bronchial arteriograms with primary tumors showed extensive systemic arterial proliferation towards the tumor. No filling of the bronchial vasculature was demonstrated with metastatic lung disease. This study suggests an increased bronchial arterial blod flow to primary tumors. Further evaluation is necessary in order to distinguish reliably between primary and secondary lung tumors.

FIBROSIS OF THE LUNG FOLLOWING ROENTGEN-RAY TREATMENTS FOR TUMOR

There is little known about the effect of the roentgen ray on lung tissue as applied in the treatment of pulmonary neoplasms. Holmes, 1 in summarizing the present status of roentgen-ray therapy, emphasizes that investigation is necessary to determine the amount and quality of irradiation that should be used in different diseases, the effect of irradiation on both normal and pathologic tissues, and the effect of treatment on the patient as a whole. The present report of the lesions in two cases of secondary lung tumors which were treated with roentgen rays may throw some light on the effect of irradiation on the normal lung and on tumors of the lungs. REPORT OF CASES Case 1.—Hisotry. —In 1919, a painful swelling of the left arm developed in a man, aged 46. In February, 1920, because of the great swelling, he consulted a surgeon, who removed a tumor of the