Abstract

The relationship between chronic pulmonary tuberculosis and primary carcinoma is a purely circumstantial or fortuitous coexistence. Over a period of 14 years, 5,532 new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and 1,218 new cases of primary malignancy of the lungs were admitted to the Missouri State Sanatorium. This report reviews 54 cases of concurrent disease and discusses the attendant difficulties in their diagnosis and treatment. Eighty-three per cent of the cases reviewed were found to be inoperable or non-resectable, indicating the urgent need for early detection. A close surveillance of patients with chronic pulmonary disease, especially those with tuberculosis and histoplasmosis, could improve the outcome of these concurrent lung diseases.