Synchronous multiple primary lung cancers manifesting as multiple ground-glass nodules define a special clinical subtype

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with synchronous multiple primary lung cancers (SMPLC) manifesting as multiple ground-glass nodules (GGNs). Methods: A cohort of 502 patients with SMPLCs who received radical surgical resection at West China Hospital from 2009 to 2018 were included and classified into: Group GGN (all tumors being GGN lesions), Group GGN+S (coexisting solid and GGN lesions) and Group S (all tumors being solid lesions). All the SMPLC cases met the diagnostic criteria from American College of Chest Physicians lung cancer guideline. Results: More females (76.0% vs. 50.8% vs. 34.6%, p＜0.001) and never-smokers (89.4% vs. 71.2% vs. 46.2%, p＜0.001) existed in Group GGN than in the other two groups. Patients in Group GGN were younger than those in the other two groups (median age: 54 vs. 62 vs. 61, p Conclusions: SMPLCs manifesting as multiple GGNs showed clinicopathological features different from those manifesting as coexisting solid and GGN lesions, and multiple solid lesions; and got significantly better prognosis. SMPLCs manifesting as multiple GGNs define a special clinical subtype.