Background: As breast cancer survival improves, the incidence of additional malignancies will likely rise. Identification of a lung nodule in a patient with known breast cancer poses a challenging diagnostic problem. This study outlines the management of such patients and identifies factors that correlate with survival.
Methods: From 1977 through 2002, 35 patients with known breast cancer were identified with an additional primary lung cancer. Data were collected from a retrospective chart review. Median and 2- year survival were determined by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis identified independent predictors of survival.
Results: Nineteen patients (54%) were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis and had their lung cancer discovered during workup and/or follow-up of their breast cancer. The diagnosis of lung cancer was made by preoperative biopsy in 23 patients (82%). Nineteen patients (54%) were successfully treated with surgery. Mean follow-up was 2.3 years. Median survival for all patients was 1.8 years. Factors associated with a statistically significant improvement in survival included asymptomatic presentation of lung cancer (P = 0.003), absence of tobacco use (P = 0.021), and stage I lung cancer (P = 0.009). Multivariate analysis revealed that tobacco use (RR = 3.6, P = 0.047) and advanced stage of lung cancer (II-IV) at the time of diagnosis (RR = 2.2, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of decreased survival.
Conclusion: The presentation of a lung nodule in patients with breast cancer warrants a comprehensive evaluation to differentiate between primary lung and metastatic breast cancers, as diagnosis and resection of an early stage lung cancer is associated with improved survival.