Microscopic (R1) and macroscopic (R2) residual disease in patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVES

This retrospective study evaluates the probability of survival in patients who had undergone resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and in whom residual disease at the resection margins was found.

METHODS

During a period of 6 years, 596 patients with NSCLC were operated upon with curative intention. Residual disease at the resection margin was divided into microscopic (R1) and macroscopic (R2).

RESULTS

Twenty-six patients (4.4%) showed R1 and 12 (2%) R2 residual disease. An extrabronchial (thoracic wall, vessels) R1 situation was found in five patients and a bronchial R1 infiltration in 21 cases. The bronchial resection margin was subject to peribronchial infiltration in most cases (16/21). A total of 17/21 (65%) patients with bronchial infiltration had N2 disease. Thirty day lethality was 3.8% in the R1 group. Fifteen patients had postoperative irradiation. The 5-year survival rate for patients with R1 resection was 14%. The differences in survival between patients with extrabronchial vs. bronchial infiltration and N0/N1 vs. N2 were significant using univariate analysis. Adjuvant radiation did not result (especially in N2 disease) in a survival benefit. Among 12 patients with macroscopic residual disease (R2), 3/12 (25%) died within the first 30 days after the operation, and none of the R2 patients survived the first year after the operation.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with an R1 situation have a survival rate of 14% comparable to curative resected patients (RO) in stage III. Adjuvant radiation had no clear effect on survival. Patients with macroscopic tumor (R2) should receive palliative treatment after the operation depending on their condition.

Flow cytometric analysis of DNA content and proliferation and immunohistochemical staining of Ki-67 in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

The aim of our study was to examine the significance of tumour DNA-content and proliferation in lung cancer.

METHODS

The DNA content and S-phase fraction (SPF) was determined by flow cytometry in 125 resected tumours of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. In 40 cases we compared the SPF with immunohistochemical staining of the Ki-67 protein using MIB-1 antibody.

RESULTS

DNA aneuploidy was detected in 84.8% (106/125). Cell cycle analysis for the determination of proliferation activity was only possible in 69 (55.2%) cases. An SPF of 0-8% as a sign of low proliferation was found in 27 specimens. In advanced tumours at stage III and IV the proportion of tumours with SPF 9-16% was significantly (p<0.05) increased as compared to tumours at stage I and II. There was a significant correlation (p=0.012, ascent: 0.045) between SPF and MIB-1. Patients with aneuploid tumours had a relative risk of 1.4 to die earlier than patients with diploid tumours. Patients with SPF of 9-16% in the tumour tended to decreased survival (5-year survival rate: 29%) in correlation to patients with a percentage of SPF 0-8% (5-year survival rate: 38%, p=0.5). These differences were significant (p=0.048) in patients with adenocarcinomas only. In the multivariate COX-regression model age (p=0.03) and stage (p=0.0001) were significant prognostic factors, ploidy state (p=0.33) was of no prognostic significance.

CONCLUSIONS

Flow cytometry seems to be a useful method for understanding the clinical behaviour of lung cancer. Especially the SPF in adenocarcinomas may be used as a prognostic indicator.

[Use of the heart-lung machine in extra-cardial carcinoma surgery]

The employment of the heart-lung machine to assisting the circulatory system for the resection of extracardial tumors is increasing because of their location, growth and infiltration. We report on three patients in whom the resection of the tumor was only possible with extracorporeal circulation (ECC). In the first patient sarcoma of the pulmonary artery and valve was resected under ECC. Artery and valve were replaced with a cryo-preserved valved bifurcation homograft. In the other patients ECC was used on the basis of tumorinfiltration of the inferior vena cava and tumor embolus of the pulmonary artery in a case of primary renal cell carcinoma, and tumor infiltration of the superior vena cava and right atrium in a case of follicular thyroid carcinoma. All patients had a good postoperative course and excellent long term survival.

[Prognostic factors and subsequent indications for surgery in pulmonary metastasis of renal cell carcinoma]

Between 1975-1996, 39 patients underwent resection of pulmonary metastases from renal cell carcinoma. Multivariate analysis (COX model) for survival of preoperative risk factors showed that time of diagnosis (syn-/metachronous) of the metastases (p = 0.05) and the number of metastases (p = 0.01) were of prognostic significance. It is concluded that metastasectomy in patients with not more than six metachronous metastases after renal cell carcinoma has significant benefit and in cases of synchronous metastases or more than 6 pulmonary metastases indication for resection should be restricted.

The adenosquamous lung carcinoma: clinical and pathological characteristics

The adenosquamous carcinoma is a rare combined tumour of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The survival prognosis of surgically treated patients with adenosquamous carcinoma and patients with squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma were compared during a study. Two hundred and seventyfive patients who had been treated surgically because of primary lung cancer in the Department of Thoracic-Surgery at the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg between 1980 and 1989 were evaluated. The five year survival study of 172 patients who underwent resection because of squamous cell carcinoma was 45%, the one of patients with adenocarcinoma (n = 84) was 27%. 26% was the five year survival rate of the patients (n = 9) with large cell carcinoma. Of 13 patients (4%) with adenosquamous carcinoma none survived five years after surgical treatment. The two year survival rate was 28%. The presented results demonstrate the poor survival prognosis of patients suffering from adenosquamous carcinoma and ask for an adjuvant therapy.