BACKGROUNDTo study clinicopathological characteristics and national distribution of lung cancer in patients who were younger than 40 years of age in Xinjiang.

METHODSThe records of 99 patients who were younger than 40 years of age with lung cancer who were diagnosed in our hospital from September, 1989 to July, 2001 were reviewed. Analyses as to gender, nationalities, misdiagnosis and pathological types were performed.

RESULTSThe female had higher prevalence than the male did, the ratio of male to female was 1.75 to 1. The Han race had higher prevalence than other races did. Most of the patients had clinical manifestations (97.0%). Adenocarcinoma and small cell lung cancer were predominant histologic types, which accounted for about 71.1%. The misdiagnostic rate was 61.6%.

CONCLUSIONSIn young patients with lung cancer, the diffe-rence of incidence between different genders is smaller than that in senile patients. The prevalence of lung can-cer in young people varies in different races in Xinjiang and Han race has the highest prevalence. The malignancy of lung cancer in young patients is high, and most cases are in advanced stage. The misdiagnostic rate is high.