Assessment of generalised airway obstruction in patients with carcinoma of the bronchus.

50 patients with carcinoma of the bronchus were studied during their pre-operative assessment for lung surgery. Lung function test indications of generalised airway obstruction agreed closely with clinical evidence of chronic bronchitis. These findings support the suggestion that the shape of the FVC tracing and the maximal expiratory flow-volume curve can be used to distinguish between the presence of generalised airway obstruction due to chronic bronchitis and of localised obstruction due to the tumour alone. The effectiveness of a method of predicting the risk of cardiopulmonary complications after lung surgery based upon pre-operative lung function test results is demonstrated.