A three-year review of lung cancer patient characteristics in a tertiary hospital

OBJECTIVE: The study sought to determine clinical characteristics and histologic subtypes of a cohort of lung cancer patients in a tertiary facility.

DESIGN: Retrospective review of the medical records of histology-confirmed lung cancer cases at the respiratory clinic over a 3-year period.

SETTING: Respiratory Clinic, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.

PARTICIPANTS: All adult patients with histologically diagnosed lung cancer were enrolled.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lung cancer histological types.

RESULTS: The proportion of lung cancer cases was 12.4%. The majority were women (57.8%) and the mean age at diagnosis was 55.8±16.0 years. The patients were predominantly non-smokers (61%). Common symptoms were chronic cough and chest pain. More than two-thirds of the cases presented in clinical stages III and IV with the predominant histological subtype being adenocarcinoma in smokers and non-smokers. Genetic testing for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Anaplastic Lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutations were largely absent.

CONCLUSIONS: The majority of lung cancer patients presented late with advanced disease. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant histological subtype in a predominantly non-smoking population, with an increased prevalence among women less than 60 years. This should encourage testing for genetic mutations to improve patient survival.

FUNDING: None declared.