Tumor doubling time and survival of men with bronchogenic carcinoma.

The relationship between tumor volume doubling time and survival was studied in 28 patients with histologically confirmed bronchogenic carcinoma with the following characteristics: the cancers presented radiographically as circumscribed peripheral nodules first observed at a diameter of 0.6 to 1.4 cm, and follow-up was maintained until death or for at least 8.5 years from the time the tumor was 1.0 cm in diameter. Among eight patients whose cancers were not resected, survival was longer in the four treated with radiation than in the four who were not. Among 20 patients whose cancers were resected, 18 who died showed a fair correlation between tumor doubling time and survival; the other two patients were still alive 116 and 143 months after the tumors were 1 cm in diameter, presumably cured. These observations indicate that tumor growth rate is an important factor in the prognosis of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma.