[Lung cancer and COPD: a common combination]. / Cáncer de pulmón y EPOC: una asociación frecuente.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To analyse frequency, characteristics and patient survival with lung cancer (LC) and COPD, comparing them with patients without COPD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study, of patients diagnosed by means of cytohistology. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 15.0. RESULTS: A total of 996 patients were diagnosed, 39.8% COPD. Mean age 70+/-9.19 years. GOLD stages: I 18.2%, II 53.6%, III 24%, IV 4.2%. The histological types: squamous cell carcinoma 48.2%, adenocarcinoma 22%, small cell carcinoma 22.5%. Survival was longer in the COPD group. CONCLUSIONS: LC and COPD are combined in 39.8%. Squamous cell type is more frequent and survival was longer in the COPD group.