Clinical study of multiple primary malignant tumor

Park, Eun Kyung; Kwon, Jung Hye; Lee, Jung Hee; Lee, Sang Jae

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to analyze the clinical characteristics of multiple primary malignant tumor.
METHODS
Total 45 patients with multiple primary malignant tumors among 11,147 patients with malignant tumors who were admitted to Chung-Ang University Hospital were enrolled from January 1990 to March 2003. The clinical characteristics such as sex, age, incidence, location and classification of multiple malignant tumor, interval between diagnosis of primary tumor and secondary tumor of multiple primary malignant tumor were investigated retrospectively by review of medical records.
RESULTS
The sex ratio (male to female) of multiple primary malignant tumor was 4.0 (they were 36 males and 9 females). The median age of multiple primary malignant tumor was 61+/-12.1 years. The incidence of multiple primary malignant tumor was 0.4%. Synchronous cases were 18 cases and metachronous cases were 27 cases. The interval between diagnosis of primary tumor and secondary tumor of multiple primary malignant tumors were median 13.5+/-33.1 months in all patients and 45+/-31.0 months in patients with metachronous cases. There were 38 (84%) cases of multiple primary malignant tumor of different tissue or organs (Moertel's classification II) which was the most common class. The most common involved organ was lung (20 cases). The second most common involved organ was stomach (16 cases). There were 2 cases of triple primary malignant tumor; one case was bladder, prostate and lung cancer, and the other case was breast, cervix and lung cancer.
CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of multiple primary malignant tumor was 0.4%. The most common involved organ was lung and the second most common involved organ was stomach. Further prospective study about early diagnosis of secondary tumors, especially lung and stomach cancer is needed.