Navigating the Maze: Exploring Non-Oncological Complexities in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Simple Summary: Pulmonary oncological issues are a significant public health concern, often complicated by the presence of other pulmonary conditions, which can complicate diagnosis, staging, and treatment decisions. To explore this complexity, we conducted a retrospective study at the Marius Nasta Institute of Pneumophthisiology in Bucharest, Romania, focusing on patients diagnosed with carcinoid and/or non-small-cell lung carcinoma and coexisting pathologies. Patients with both malignant and nonmalignant lesions shared similar demographic and exposure profiles with those presenting only malignant lesions. Synchronous coexisting lesions may complicate the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. Pulmonary oncological pathologies are an important public health problem and the association with other pulmonary lesions may pose difficulties in diagnosis and staging or require different treatment options. To address this complexity, we conducted a retrospective observational study at the Marius Nasta Institute of Pneumophthisiology, Bucharest, Romania. Our study focused on patients admitted in 2019 with non-small-cell lung carcinoma and associated pulmonary lesions identified through surgical resection specimens. Among the 314 included patients, multiple pulmonary nodules were observed on macroscopic examination, with 12% (N = 37) exhibiting nonmalignant etiologies upon microscopic examination. These findings underscore the challenge of preoperative staging. Patients with coexisting nonmalignant lesions were similar in age, smoking habits, and professional or environmental exposure by comparison with those who presented only malignant lesions. The presentation of coexisting malignant and nonmalignant lesions may pose difficulties in diagnosing and staging pulmonary cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]