Lung Cancer - Prevalence and Patterns

Abstract

Background and setting
Recent reports have indicated the increasing incidence of lung cancer in women and younger age groups. A cross- sectional, retrospective study was undertaken to study the age and sex distribution and histological patterns of lung cancer in the patient population presenting to St.John's Medical college Hospital, Bangalore.

Methods
The age, sex and the clinical features of patients and gross findings of the specimens were retrieved from the archives of the department.Hematoxylin and Eosin stained paraffin sections were used for assessment of histological patterns.

Results and Conclusions
80 patients(13.5%) were histologically diagnosed as having lung cancer in the study done over a period of 6 years(1995-2000).Peak incidence was seen in 5th and 6th decade. 15 patients were <40 years of age with a male-female ratio 1.5:1 while the trend changed to 4.9:1 in >40 years age group. among the classifiable patterns, the common years age group. Among the classifiable patterns, the common histological pattern was squamous cell carcinoma, while 26.5% of lung cancer cases were poorly differentiated and could not be further categorized indicating the need for advanced techniques. In 18.5% of patients who were less than 40 years of age with lack of male preponderance, the genesis was probably multifactorial.

Market integration
Correlation is a measure of market integration. Correlation Coefficients of Prices, which include trend, seasonal and cylindrical effects are not adequate to precisely measure the degree of market integration. Integration of "pure errors" (pure errors means error series free from autocorrelation effects) of several time series enables us to determine the significance or otherwise integration of markets.