Common-sense untoward factors in lung cancer resection

Four common-sense untoward factors (age over 60, pneumonectomy, microresidual disease, and postoperative empyema) were retrospectively evaluated in a consecutive series of 199 surgically apparently complete non-oat cell lung cancer resections. By single-factor analysis all factors showed a lower survival that was contingent for microresidual disease and age over 60. For stage I tumors the negative impact on survival was significant for all except empyema, and for stage II and III tumors only for empyema. Without confounding factors, microresidual disease and age over 60 were negative prognostic factors only for distant mortality, empyema a negative prognostic factor only for early mortality, and pneumonectomy a probable negative prognostic factor for both early and distinct mortality. It is concluded that the scientific method used confirmed the prognostic assessment of common sense for these four factors.

Empyema following lung cancer resection: risk factors and prognostic value on survival

A retrospective evaluation of 199 consecutive patients undergoing resection for lung cancer revealed a significantly shorter long-term survival for those in whom empyema developed postoperatively. The overall five-year survival for the empyema group was 24% compared with 35% in the control group (patients without empyema), and the median survival was 15 months for the control group. These differences in survival were not found among patients with Stage I lung cancer. Pneumonectomy proved to be the main risk factor for the occurrence of empyema after operation, but a minor risk factor was the anatomical extent of disease. this correlation may be explained by major surgical contamination or manipulation as well as by lower immunological host reaction, all related to the extent of the tumor. A lower immunological defense could also explain the worse outcome for patients with Stage II or III lung cancer in whom empyema developed postoperatively.

Bronchogenic carcinoma and postoperative empyema: is survival really enhanced?

From 1959 to 1974, 542 patients underwent curative resection for bronchogenic carcinoma. Postoperative empyema occurred in 17 of these patients. The overall 5-year survival of these 17 patients was only 18%, compared with 27% in the 525 patients without empyema. We were unable to demonstrate by our study or by a review of the literature that postoperative empyema favorably influences survival in patients who have had pulmonary resection for bronchogenic carcinoma.

The relationship between postoperative empyema and long-term survival after pneumonectomy. Results of surgical treatment of bronchogenic carcinoma

In order to present the possible influence of postoperative empyema on the survival rate of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma, who had been treated by pneumonectomy, a retrospective investigation was made upon 207 patients over a 10-year period. In patients with and without a complicating postoperative empyema, a cumulative survival rate of 0.04 and 0.26, respectively, was found. The difference was not significant. However, other retrospective investigations on the influence of postoperative empyema on long-term survival after surgical treatment for bronchogenic carcinoma have shown results that might stimulate prospective studies on the subject. Furthermore, this investigation showed that the probability of long-term survival was highest in patients under 60 years of age, when the bronchogenic carcinoma is a planocellular carcinoma located in the left lung without postoperative empyema. Among pneumonectomized lung cancer patients, the mortality was above expectancy, even 8-10 years after operation compared with the estimated survival rate in the average population.