Clinical variables in patients with lung cancer

Abstract

Background: lung neoplasia means a health problem worldwide. Nowadays it is the leading cause of death from malignant diseases in Cuba.

Objective: to characterize the clinical variables in patients histopathologically diagnosed with lung cancer at "Ernesto Guevara de la Serna" General Hospital of Las Tunas during 2014.

Methods: a descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out on 52 patients seen at the place and during the period herein mentioned. The medical history was used as a secondary source of data collection, which was processed using descriptive statistics.

Results: there was a prevalence of patients older than 66 years, 23 cases (44,23 %); the male sex was the most frequent one with 32 patients (61,53 %); 46 patients (88,46 %) were smokers and within this group men prevailed with 57,6 %. Among the clinical manifestations cough had a greater frequency (48 patients for 92,3 %), followed by chest pain for 61,53 %. The most frequent radiological forms were the pneumonic opacities (21 for 40,38 %) and the tumor masses (9 patients for 17,3 %). There was a prevalence of oat non-small-cell carcinoma for 26,92 %, followed by epidermoid one in 21 cases (40,38 %).

Conclusions: some clinical variables were characterized in patients with lung cancer in Las Tunas during 2014.