[Association of primary malignant neoplasms of the larynx and the lung. 12 years of clinical experience].

Laryngeal and pulmonary cancers present a certain agreement in regard to annual incidence. When studied separately these tumors show certain similarities and differences and they are of particular interest when they arise in the same subject. The association of laryngeal and pulmonary neoplasms is one of the most common associations among multiple primitive malignant tumors and represents an important problem in terms of prevention and diagnosis. The present study involves 18 cases of associated tumors observed from January 1, 1977 and December 31, 1988. All the subjects involved were males, average age 62 years, who had been treated for laryngeal cancers, mostly laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma. Pulmonary cancers (simultaneous, synchronous, metachronous) were diagnosed in all these subjects and one patient presented 2 autonomous bronchial lesions which arose in different periods. On the whole, 8 out of 18 patients (44.4%) are still alive and of these 6 (33%) enjoy good health more than 1 year after treatment for the pulmonary tumor. After reporting some considerations regarding the neoplastic association between the larynx and the lungs and about the increased risk of pulmonary neoplasm in those patients treated for supraglottic lesions, the authors hypothesize that these neoplasms are simultaneously present in both organs more frequently than previously thought. The authors assert that laryngeal tumor patients must be considered as a potential carrier of pulmonary cancer. Therefore, both before and after treatment (particularly in the first 6 months after surgery and/or radiotherapy) the patient must be carefully observed.