The delay in the diagnosis in our population seems to be excessively long. The greater the age, a more advanced tumour stage, male sex, and poor general health status are associated with shorter delays. A longer treatment delay is associated with a longer survival.

Background:Patients with lung cancer usually present with symptoms at the time of diagnosis, but it is common that neither the doctor nor the patient initially associate them with the possibility of a malignant tumour. Objectives: The aim of our study is to analyse the symptoms of patients with lung cancer and the relationship with the personal characteristics or the oncological disease. Material and Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on all patients diagnosed with lung cancer in the Pontevedra Health Area over a period of three years. The symptoms presented by the patient, the reason for the consultation and the agreement between both or any factors associated with either of the two are analysed.Results: A total of 358 patients, with a mean age of 68.7 years, and of whom 87% males, were included in the study. The most common initial symptoms were, constitutional in 30.4% of the cases, cough in 20.9% of cases, and in third place was chest pain, which was referred to by 12% of the patients. The most frequent reason for the consultation was dyspnea in 22.1% of patients, an incidental finding in 15.4%, and haemoptysis in 12.8%. There was a moderate association (correlation coefficient = 0.495) between the initial symptoms and the consulting symptom. Conclusions: A high percentage of patients with lung cancer had symptoms associated with the tumour at the time of diagnosis, even in early stage disease.

Fundamento. Describir las características clínicas, epidemiológicas y supervivencia de los pacientes con cáncer de pulmón (CP) en el área sanitaria de Pontevedra. Material y métodos.Se realizó un estudio observacional, retrospectivo, incluyendo todos los pacientes con diagnóstico de CP en el área sanitaria del Complexo Hospitalario de Pontevedra (CHOP), incluyendo todos los casos diagnosticados en un período de 3 años. De cada paciente se incluyeron edad, sexo, tabaquismo, comorbilidad, estado funcional, método diagnóstico, tipo histológico, estadio, tipo de tratamiento y supervivencia. Los pacientes fueron seguidos durante 3 años resultados. Se incluyeron en el estudio un total de 358 casos de CP, lo cual supone una tasa cruda de in ci dencia ajustada a la población europea estándar de 37,33/100.000 habitantes/año en varones y de 4,88/100.000 habitantes/año en mujeres. El 87% fueron varones, de 68,7 años de edad media, el 82% fumadores o exfumadores. El tipo histológico más frecuente fue el epidermoide, con el 35,2% de los casos. En el 79% de los casos se realizó el diagnóstico en estadios III-B o IV. La quimioterapia fue el primer tratamiento en el 53% de los casos. La supervivencia al primer año es del 25%, que se reduce al 4% al tercer año.conclusiones. La incidencia de CP en nuestra área sanitaria sigue predominando en varones fumadores, aunque la incidencia en el sexo femenino y en nunca fumadores es superior a otras poblaciones de nuestro entorno. El diagnóstico se lleva a cabo en fases avanzadas de la enfermedad y la supervivencia es pobre. Methods.A retrospective observational study was conducted on all patients with a diagnosis of LC in the Pontevedra Hospital Complex (CHOP) health area over a three-year period. The data recorded included, age, gender, smoking history, comorbidity, functional status, diagnostic method, histology type, stage, treatment received, and survival. The patients were followed up for 3 years.results. A total of 358 cases of LC were included in the study, which gave a crude incidence rate adjusted to the standard European population of 37.33/100,000 inhabitants/ year in males and 4.88/100,000 inhabitants/year in females. The large majority were males (87%). The mean age was 68.7 years, and 82% were smokers or ex-smokers. The most common histology type was epidermoid, with 35.2% of the cases. The diagnosis was made in stages III-B or IV in 79% of cases. Chemotherapy was the first treatment in 53% of the cases. Survival after the first year was 25%, which decreased to 4% at the third year.conclusions. The incidence of LC in our health area continues to be mainly in male smokers, although the incidence in females and in people who never smoked is higher than in other populations in our country. It is diagnosed in the advance stages of the disease, and survival is poor.