Management of patients with concomitant lung cancer and abdominal aortic aneurysm

Background Management of patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and malignancy is challenging. We aimed to define the coincidence of AAA and lung cancer and to determine a treatment strategy. Methods The outcomes for patients diagnosed with AAA and lung cancer between 1991 and 2004 at our institution were reviewed retrospectively. Results We identified 75 patients with both lesions among 1,096 AAA and 1,875 lung cancer patients. Survival correlated with cancer stage; only 3 deaths were directly attributable to the patient's AAA. Of 59 patients who did not have AAA repair at the time of cancer diagnosis, 12 were repaired. Twenty-seven of those 59 patients had a 5.0-cm or larger AAA; only 1 patient with a 7.5-cm AAA had a rupture 5 months after thoracotomy and died. Conclusions The co-existence of AAA and lung cancer is not rare; prognosis is poor and largely determined by the lung cancer stage. Open or endovascular repair of AAA rarely is justified in patients with advanced disease unless the AAA is symptomatic or large (>7 cm). Treatment for AAAs greater than 5.5 cm should be based on stage, histology, and patient comorbidities.