Does pneumonectomy for lung cancer adversely influence long-term survival?

Double sleeve resections

Double sleeve lung resections are complex surgical procedures that require specialized surgical expertise and careful patient selection. These procedures allow for the preservation of lung tissue while still achieving complete tumor resection for central tumors. Although initially considered high-risk operations, double sleeve lung resections have become a viable option for central tumors. Recent studies have shown that double sleeve lung resections are associated with lower morbidity and mortality rates than pneumonectomy. Furthermore, double sleeve lung resections may be associated with similar or even better long-term oncological outcomes compared to pneumonectomy, with the added benefit of preserving lung parenchyma and reducing the incidence of postoperative complications.

Outcomes and pulmonary function after sleeve lobectomy compared with pneumonectomy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Sleeve lobectomy is recommended to avoid pneumonectomy and preserve pulmonary function in patients with central lung cancer. However, the relationship between postoperative pulmonary functional loss and resected lung parenchyma volume has not been fully characterized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pulmonary function and lung volume in patients undergoing sleeve lobectomy or pneumonectomy.

METHODS

A total of 61 lung cancer patients who had undergone pneumonectomy or sleeve lobectomy were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 20 patients performed pulmonary function tests, including vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) tests, preoperatively and then about 6 months after surgery. VC and FEV1 ratios were calculated (measured postoperative respiratory function/predicted postoperative respiratory function) as the standardized pulmonary functional loss ratio.

RESULTS

Thirty-day operation-related mortality was significantly lower after sleeve lobectomy (3.2%) than pneumonectomy (9.6%). The 5-year relapse-free survival rate was 46.67% versus 29.03%, and the 5-year overall survival rate was 63.33% versus 38.71% in patients receiving sleeve lobectomy versus pneumonectomy. The VC ratio in the pneumonectomy group was better than in the sleeve lobectomy group (1.003 ± 0.117 vs. 0.779 ± 0.12; p = 0.0008), as was the FEV1 ratio (1.132 ± 0.226 vs. 0.851 ± 0.063; p = 0.0038).

CONCLUSIONS

Both short-term and long-term outcomes were better with sleeve lobectomy than pneumonectomy. However, actual postoperative pulmonary function after pneumonectomy may be better than clinicians expect, and pneumonectomy should still be considered a treatment option for patients with sufficient pulmonary reserve and in whom sleeve lobectomy is less likely to be curative.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic versus open sleeve lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis from six comparative studies

BACKGROUND

Lung sleeve resection is indicated for centrally located lung tumors, especially for patients who cannot tolerate pneumonectomy. With video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) being increasingly implemented for a wide variety of thoracic pathologies, this study aims to compare the intraoperative, postoperative, and long-term outcomes of VATS and open bronchial sleeve lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

The MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases were searched. Original clinical studies, comparing VATS and open sleeve lobectomy for NSCLC were included. Evidence was synthesized as odds ratios for categorical and weighted mean difference (WMD) for continuous variables.

RESULTS

Our analysis included six studies with non-overlapping populations reporting on 655 patients undergoing bronchial sleeve lobectomy for NSCLC (229 VATS and 426 open). VATS sleeve lobectomy was associated with significantly longer operative time ((WMD): 45.85 min, 95% confidence interval (CI): 12.06 to 79.65, p  =  0.01) but less intraoperative blood loss ((WMD): -34.57 mL, 95%CI: -58.35 to -10.78, p < 0.001). No significant difference was found between VATS and open bronchial sleeve lobectomy in margin-negative resection rate, number of lymph nodes resected, postoperative outcomes (drainage duration, length of hospital stay, 30-day mortality), postoperative complications (pneumonia, bronchopleural fistula/empyema, prolonged air leakage, chylothorax, pulmonary embolism, and arrhythmia), and long-term outcomes (overall survival, recurrence-free survival).

CONCLUSIONS

The limitation of our study arises mainly due to the heterogeneity of the included studies. Nevertheless, VATS bronchial sleeve lung resection constitutes a feasible and safe alternative to the open sleeve lung resection surgery for the management of centrally located lung tumors.

SPECT/CT versus planar imaging to determine treatment strategy for non-small-cell lung cancer: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Aim: SPECT/CT has been found to improve predicted postoperative forced expiratory volume in one second (ppoFEV₁) assessments in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: An economic simulation was developed comparing the cost-effectiveness of SPECT/CT versus planar scintigraphy for a US payer. Clinical outcomes and cost data were obtained through review of the published literature. Results: SPECT/CT increased the accuracy ppoFEV₁ assessment, changing the therapeutic decision for 1.3% of nonsurgical patients to a surgical option, while 3.3% of surgical patients shifted to more aggressive procedures. SPECT/CT led to an expected cost of $4694 per life year gained, well below typical thresholds. Conclusion: SPECT/CT resulted in substantially improved health outcomes and was found to be highly cost-effective.

Comparison of Bronchial Sleeve Lobectomy with Pulmonary Arterioplasty versus Pneumonectomy

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the efficacy of bronchial sleeve lobectomy with pulmonary arterioplasty by comparing to pneumonectomy in centrally located non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with bronchovascular invasion.

METHODS

The entire cohort consisted of 212 patients receiving pneumonectomy and 156 patients undergoing bronchial sleeve lobectomy with pulmonary arterioplasty. Propensity score matching was adopted to create a fully balanced cohort, after which, baseline characteristics, perioperative performance and oncological results were compared between two groups.

RESULTS

Totally 139 pneumonectomy cases were matched with 139 sleeve lobectomy cases. In the matched cohort, bronchial sleeve lobectomy with pulmonary arterioplasty was associated with longer operative time (p<0.001), decreased perioperative transfusion rate (p=0.002), shorter postoperative hospital stays (p<0.001), shorter intensive care unit stays (p=0.040) and lower Clavien-dindo Classification (p=0.016). In respect to survival outcomes, Log-rank test revealed no significant difference in OS (p= 0.381) and RFS (p=0.619) between two surgical procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

Bronchial sleeve lobectomy with pulmonary arterioplasty could achieve superior perioperative outcomes and equivalent oncological efficacy in comparison with pneumonectomy, indicating that this complex procedure is safe and reliable for centrally located NSCLC concurrently involving the pulmonary artery and bronchus.

Evaluation of different treatment strategies between right-sided and left-sided pneumonectomy for stage I-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer patients

Background

This study aimed to assess the different survival outcomes of stage I–IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who received right-sided and left-sided pneumonectomy, and to further develop the most appropriate treatment strategies.

Methods

We accessed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from the United States for the present study. An innovative propensity score matching analysis was used to minimize the variance between groups.

Results

For 2,683 patients who received pneumonectomy, cancer-specific survival [hazard ratio (HR) =0.863, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.771 to 0.965, P=0.010] and overall survival (OS; HR =0.875, 95% CI: 0.793 to 0.967, P=0.008) were significantly superior in left-sided pneumonectomy patients compared with right-sided pneumonectomy patients. Cancer-specific survival (HR =0.847, 95% CI: 0.745 to 0.963, P=0.011) and OS (HR =0.858, 95% CI: 0.768 to 0.959, P=0.007) were also significantly longer with left-sided compared to right-sided pneumonectomy after matching analysis of 2,050 patients. Adjuvant therapy could significantly prolong cancer-specific survival (67 versus 51 months, HR =1.314, 95% CI: 1.093 to 1.579, P=0.004) and OS (46 versus 30 months, HR =1.458, 95% CI: 1.239 to 1.715, P<0.001) among left-sided pneumonectomy patients after the matching procedure, while adjuvant therapy did not increase cancer-specific survival for right-sided pneumonectomy patients (46 versus 42 months, HR =1.112, 95% CI: 0.933 to 1.325, P=0.236). Subgroup analysis showed that adjuvant chemotherapy could significantly improve cancer-specific survival and OS for all pneumonectomy patients. However, radiotherapy was associated with worse survival for patients with right-sided pneumonectomy.

Conclusions

Pneumonectomy side can be deemed as an important factor when physicians determine the most optimal treatment strategies.

[Pneumonectomy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Predictors of Operative Mortality and Survival]

外科手术是目前根治非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）的最有效方式。全肺切除作为一种术式被应用于临床中。对于中央型肺癌，袖式肺叶切除术因其术后肺功能丧失少、术后并发症及死亡率低逐渐取代全肺切除术成为主流。然而为保证肿瘤学效果，当其他术式无法完全切除时，全肺切除术式仍是必要的。全肺切除术后主要发生心肺并发症，充分了解全肺切除术后相关并发症能帮助临床医师及时做出诊断，并进一步采取相关措施降低术后并发症对患者的不良影响。充分了解预后相关危险因素可帮助临床医师提前采取措施尽可能规避风险，从而改善患者预后。

Reconstruction of Long Noncircumferential Tracheal or Carinal Resections With Bronchial Flaps

BACKGROUND

Removal of tumors that invade the trachea or carina often results in a massive defect that exceeds the limits of end-to-end anastomosis. The purpose of this study is to discuss the clinical value of bronchial flap for the closure of central airway defects after noncircumferential tracheal or carinal resection.

METHODS

From 1990 to 2016, 73 patients underwent noncircumferential tracheal or carinal resection. From size, location, and pulmonary function, there were six different types of bronchial flap reconstruction.

RESULTS

We performed bronchial flap upturned reconstruction with right pneumonectomy (n = 45), right upper lobectomy (n = 9), left pneumonectomy (n = 7), left upper lobectomy (n = 3), and bronchial flap downturned reconstruction with right pneumonectomy (n = 5), left pneumonectomy (n = 4). The size of airway defects that were replaced by bronchial flap ranged from 0.5 × 2 to 2.5 × 7 cm and was at most 50% of the airway circumference. Postoperative major complications occurred in 17.8% (13 of 73) of patients: four bronchopleural fistulas (5.5%), five serious postoperative infections (6.8%), two pulmonary atelectasis (2.7%), and two airway stenosis (2.7%). However, no significant differences were found in postoperative complications between resection lengths shorter than 4 cm and longer than 4 cm (p = 0.295). The overall 30-day mortality rate was 2.7%. The overall survival rate was 63.5% and 23.6% at 2 and 5 years, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The six different types of bronchial flap reconstruction present an efficient therapeutic strategy to close massive central airway defects after noncircumferential tracheal or carinal resection when the patient has poor pulmonary function or when an end-to-end anastomosis is unfeasible and risky.

Wine cup stoma anastomosis after extended sleeve lobectomy for central-type squamous cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Extended sleeve lobectomy is rarely applied to pulmonary surgery for primary lung cancer to avoid a pneumonectomy. As there is a size discrepancy between main bronchus and peripheral bronchus, ingenuity to improve anastomosis is required in the bronchoplasty. We report herein a case in which successful reconstruction of extended sleeve lobectomy with bronchial wall flap.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report on a 64-year-old man suffering from hemoptysis, cough, mild fever and dyspnea. His computed tomography (CT) scan showed solid tumor of 40 mm in diameter in left lower bronchus, which obstructed the lower bronchus and caused obstructive pneumonia of left lower lobe and expanded to second carina and pulmonary artery. His bronchoscopy showed that tumor was exposed in the bronchial lumen and infiltrated to left main bronchus and upper bronchus even though the scope could pass through the exposed tumor of upper bronchus. Transbronchial lung biopsy showed squamous cell carcinoma. He had undergone left sleeve lingular segmentectomy and left lower lobectomy. Reconstruction was performed with bronchial wall flap. Pathological findings revealed pT3N0M0 stage IIB according to UICC 8th edition. Postoperative bronchoscopic findings showed no troubles at the anastomotic site. He has been well for eighteen months without recurrence after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

We experienced a successful case who was reconstructed with bronchial wall flap (wine cup stoma) after extended sleeve lobectomy. This technique might be also useful for other types of extended sleeve lobectomy and lung transplantation to adjust caliber changes of bronchi.

Role of pneumonectomy for lung cancer in current scenario: An Indian perspective

BACKGROUND

Surgical treatment for lung cancer has evolved from pneumonectomy to lobectomy/sleeve resection around the world. Although condemned for poor outcomes, pneumonectomy may still be required in a select group of patients in developing countries. With the better patient selection, optimization of medical comorbidities, better perioperative care; pneumonectomy may show better results. Thus, there is a need to reconsider the role of pneumonectomy in patients with locally advanced lung cancer in the current scenario.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The aim of this study was to analyze the demographic and clinicopathologic profile of lung cancer patients and the role of pneumonectomy at a tertiary cancer center in India. The records of patients, who underwent surgery for lung cancer at our institute from January 2011 to April 2014, were analyzed retrospectively, and various parameters in pneumonectomy were compared to lobectomy patients.

RESULTS

Out of 48 patients undergoing major lung resections, nearly 80% patients were symptomatic at presentation and were mostly in advanced stages, thus requiring neoadjuvant chemotherapy in 45.8% cases and pneumonectomy in 41.6% patients. There was no difference in morbidity and mortality in pneumonectomy (25%, 5%) versus lobectomy (21.2%, 3.5%). Disease-free survival at 1, 2, and 3 years after pneumonectomy (71.8%, 51.4%, and 42.8%) was comparable to lobectomy (73.3%, 66.1%, and 55.6%). After neoadjuvant therapy, survival was not affected by the type of surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

In the Indian scenario, as the majority of lung cancer patients present at an advanced stage, pneumonectomy still plays a major role, and the acceptable postoperative outcome can be achieved with aggressive perioperative management.

Comparison of surgical outcomes after pneumonectomy and pulmonary function-preserving surgery for non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

According to previous reports, lobectomy with bronchoplasty or angioplasty is a more feasible surgery than pneumonectomy for central-type non-small cell lung cancer. However, few studies have compared both the short- and long-term outcomes between pneumonectomy and pulmonary function-preserving surgery.

METHODS

From January 2004 to December 2015, 18 patients underwent pneumonectomy (Group PN) and 12 patients underwent pulmonary function-preserving surgery (group PS) at Fukushima Medical University Hospital. Clinicopathological factors were statistically compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The operation times in Group PN and Group PS were 285.9±27.9 and 271.3±99.2 min, respectively (p=0.613), while the amounts of intraoperative bleeding were 324.8±248.9 and 164.5±116.6 g, respectively (p=0.020). The duration of chest drainage and hospitalization after surgery in both groups were not significantly different but there was a tendency toward shorter periods of these durations in Group PS. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate in Group PN and PS was 51.4% and 74.1%, respectively, without a significant difference (p=0.298). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate in Group PN and PS was 52.5% and 56.6%, respectively, also without a significant difference (p=0.748). The 5-year OS rate was inferior to the 5-year DFS rate in Group PS, and the 5-year OS rate was not better than the 5-year DFS rate in Group PN.

CONCLUSIONS

The short-term results were better in Group PS than PN. However, the long-term results in both groups were similar. Other causes of death influenced OS in both groups; this result might have been affected by the surgical procedures.

Inorganic polyphosphate enhances radio-sensitivity in a human non-small cell lung cancer cell line, H1299

Inorganic polyphosphate is a linear polymer containing tens to hundreds of orthophosphate residues linked by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds. Polyphosphate has been recognized as a potent anti-metastasis reagent. However, the molecular mechanism underlying polyphosphate action on cancer cells is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the involvement of polyphosphate in radio-sensitivity using a human non-small cell lung cancer cell line, H1299. We found that polyphosphate treatment decreases cellular adenosine triphosphate levels, suggesting a disruption of energy metabolism. We also found that the induction of DNA double-strand breaks was enhanced in polyphosphate-treated cells after X-ray irradiation and colony formation assay revealed that cell survival decreased compared with that of the control groups. These findings suggest that polyphosphate is a promising radio-sensitizer for cancer cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that polyphosphate treatment disrupts adenosine triphosphate-mediated energy transfer for cellular survival and DNA repair, thereby reducing the cellular capability to resist X-ray irradiation.

Short- and long-term outcomes of pneumonectomy in a tertiary center

Background

Surgery is the most important therapeutic modality for lung cancer. Surgical outcomes are normally reported as 30-day or 90-day mortality or 5-year survival; 10-year survival is rarely mentioned in national data or international studies.

Methods

Three hundred and six patients (79% male) underwent pneumonectomy, mainly for lung cancer, from January 1998 to February 2013. Their short- and long-term outcomes up to September 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. The mean age was 64 years (range 22–82 years) and 24% were aged ≥70 years. Thoracoscore was used to calculate the risk of hospital mortality.

Results

Operative mortality was 4.5% whereas predicted mortality was 8%. The operative mortality for cancer patients was 3.3%; the national mortality for lung cancer is 6.5%. Only 2 patients died in hospital after a pneumonectomy in the last 5 years. Half of the patients who died in hospital were ≥70 years old; 29% (4 patients) died after urgent operations for nonmalignant disease. Overall 5- and 10-year survival was 32% and 20%. Median and mean survival was 26 and 57 months, respectively. Long-term survival was better in females aged <70 years, in left pneumonectomy patients, and in those with squamous cell lung cancer.

Conclusion

Our mortality for pneumonectomy was 50% less than the national mortality rate and significantly lower than that predicted by the Thoracoscore for lung cancer. This confirms that pneumonectomy is still an effective modality for the treatment of lung cancer, with low operative mortality and good long-term survival, especially in younger patients.

Surgical Treatment of Lung Cancer

In this chapter, we discuss the preoperative evaluation that is necessary prior to surgical resection, stage-specific surgical management of lung cancer, and the procedural steps as well as the indications to a variety of surgical approaches to lung resection.

Standard versus extended pneumonectomy for lung cancer: what really matters?

BACKGROUND

It is still not clear whether an intrapericardial pneumonectomy indicates a more advanced stage of the disease compared to a standard pneumonectomy.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of 164 patients who underwent a pneumonectomy for lung cancer. The first group consisted of 82 patients who had a standard pneumonectomy and the second group was 38 patients who had a intrapericardial pneumonectomy, for both groups in the latest 5-year period. The third group was 44 patients with had a sleeve pneumonectomy in the latest 10-year period. The groups were compared in relation to the overall and stage-related survival, influence of T and N factors, operative morbidity and mortality. The statistics used were Kaplan-Meier, U-test, t-test, χ2 test.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference in stage distribution between standard and intrapericardial pneumonectomies; stages I, II, IIIA and IIIB occurred for 10.9% vs. 2.6%, 30.5% vs. 26.3%, 46.4% vs. 65.8% and 12.2% vs. 5.3% of patients, respectively. For patients who had a sleeve pneumonectomy, stage IIIA was significantly more frequent. Although the overall survival (63.5% vs. 57.6%) and stage-related 5-year survival were better in the first compared to the second group, especially for stage IIIA (58.6% vs. 42.6%), these differences were not statistically significant. There were no significant differences in operative morbidity and mortality between groups 1 and 2, but both were significantly higher in the third group (35.7% and 15.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

An intrapericardial pneumonectomy does not always indicate a more advanced stage of the disease. The need for an intrapericardial pneumonectomy, either established preoperatively or during the operation, as a single factor, even for marginal surgical candidates, is not strong enough to reject these patients for surgery.

Survival after Pneumonectomy for Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVES

Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has a poor prognosis. Reports suggest that five-year survival after current treatment is between 14 to 24 percent. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the morbidity and mortality of patients diagnosed with stage III NSCLC and treated with pneumonectomy at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, KY.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical record and tumor registry follow-up data on 100 consecutive patients who underwent pneumonectomy for lung cancer at the University of Kentucky.

RESULTS

We identified thirty-six patients in stage III who underwent pneumonectomy. Ten patients had surgery only, eight patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, and eighteen patients received neoadjuvant therapy. There was one surgical death in this series. Mean follow-up was 2.9 years. One-, three-, and five-year survival was 66%, 38%, and 38%, respectively. Five-year survival for the group with adjuvant therapy was 60%.

CONCLUSION

Most lung cancer patients present with advanced disease and the prognosis remains poor. Our experience indicates resection offers an above average chance of long-term survival when supplemented with neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapy.

Long-term survival after pneumonectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

to investigate long-term survival in patients who underwent pneumonectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

METHODS

we retrospectively reviewed 100 consecutive pneumonectomy cases from 1998 to 2009 at the University of Kentucky. We were able to obtain follow-up data on 99 of 100 patients.

RESULTS

overall 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival was 66%, 48%, and 32%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 5- survival for left pneumonectomy was 76%, 55%, and 40%, respectively, compared to 56%, 44%, and 22%, respectively, for right pneumonectomy. The median survival for left pneumonectomy was 2.4 years compared to 1.2 years for right pneumonectomy (p = 0.056). The 5-year survival for patients diagnosed with stage I disease was 34%, compared to 19% for stage II disease, and 38% for stage III disease. The 5-year survival for patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy was 31% compared to 39% for patients who received adjuvant therapy and 29% for patients who received surgery alone. These results were also not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

neoadjuvant therapy did not adversely affect long-term survival in our study. When compared to left pneumonectomy, right pneumonectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer is associated with adverse postoperative outcomes as well as poorer long-term survival.

Outcomes of Sleeve Lobectomy versus Pneumonectomy for Lung Cancer

Background

Sleeve lobectomy for lung cancer in close proximity to or involving the carina is widely accepted. Operative morbidity and mortality rates, recurrence, and survival rates have varied considerably across studies.

Materials and Methods

From March of 2005 to July of 2010, sleeve lobectomy was performed in 19 patients and pneumonectomy was performed in 20 patients. In this paper, the results of sleeve lobectomy and pneumonectomy for patients with lung cancer will be compared and evaluated.

Results

There were no postoperative complications in either group, but there was one mortality in the pneumonectomy group. There was better preservation of pulmonary function in the sleeve lobectomy group than the pneumonectomy group (p=0.066 in FVC, p=0.019 in FEV1). The 3-year survival rates were 46.7% in the sleeve lobectomy group and 54.5% in the pneumonectomy group (p=0.505). The 3-year disease-free survival rates were 38% in the sleeve lobectomy group and 45.8% in the pneumonectomy group (p=0.200).

Conclusion

Sleeve lobectomy for lung cancer showed low mortality, low bronchial anastomotic complication rates, and good preservation of pulmonary function.

Extent of lung resection in non-small lung cancer with interlobar lymph node involvement

BACKGROUND

Optimal resection type for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with interlobar lymph node involvement (ILNI) has seldom been reported. To completely resect a NSCLC with ILNI, some surgeons believe that a pneumonectomy is needed.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied 151 patients (147 men, 4 women; mean age 58 ± 8 years, range 34-79) with non-small lung cancer without mediastinal or hilar lymph node metastasis who underwent an anatomic lung resection with systematic lymph node dissection between January 1995 and November 2006. All patients had involvement of the surgical-pathologic interlobar (#11) lymph node: 8 patients had a T1 tumor; 95, T2; 39, T3; and 9, T4. We evaluated the effect of resection type (pneumonectomy in 90 patients versus lobectomy in 61) on their prognosis by univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The 5-year survival rate of patients was 61% for the lobectomy and 35% for the pneumonectomy (p = 0.04). We did not find statistically significant differences in sex, median age, distributions of tumor site, histology and differentiation, complete resection rate, N1 involvement status, morbidity and mortality. Patients who underwent the pneumonectomy had larger tumors and more T3 tumors. The T status, multiple levels N1 involvement and histology did not affect survival in the univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed resection type as a significant prognostic factor.

CONCLUSIONS

Pneumonectomy was not necessary in patients with NSCLC and interlobar lymph node involvement that we had discovered intraoperatively.

Sleeve resections for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung

BACKGROUND

Sleeve resection is an advanced technique that was developed as an alternative to pneumonectomy. This study evaluated our cases of sleeve resection for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and compared the outcomes with the literature reports.

METHODS

In total, 26 bronchial, 5 bronchovascular, and 3 vascular sleeve lobectomies were performed between January 2000 and July 2005 in our clinic. Age, gender, operations, postoperative diagnosis and staging, and postoperative morbidity and mortality were evaluated.

RESULTS

Sleeve resections were performed in 34 patients. All patients were male, with a mean age of 59.4 years. The operations consisted of 16 right upper, 14 left upper, and 1 left lower sleeve lobectomies and 3 superior sleeve bilobectomies. The most common postoperative pathological staging group was stage IIb (32.3%). Operative mortality was 5.9% (n=2). Postoperative morbidity was 20.5% (n=7), including 4 prolonged air leaks plus empyema, 1 prolonged air leak, 1 postoperative bleeding needing revision, and 1 severe bronchostenosis; of these, 6 had persistent atelectasis. The local tumour recurrence rate was 11.7% (n=4). The median survival time and 5-year survival were 36 months and 42%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleeve resection proved to be good therapy for lung cancer and has a lower morbidity and mortality than standard pneumonectomies and results in better lung function and quality of life. The anastomosis-related complications are experience-related technical complications and training thoracic surgeons to perform SRs at experienced centres will reduce the morbidity associated with SRs.

The side of pneumonectomy influences long-term survival in stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

The impact of pneumonectomy as an independent factor on long-term survival after lung resection for centrally or locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. The aim of this paper is to study the impact of pneumonectomy, and the influence of side of surgery, on long-term survival in patients with pathologic stage I and II NSCLC.

METHODS

A retrospective review of a prospective multi-institutional database of patients operated on for lung cancer was undertaken. In all, 1,475 patients with pathologic stage I or II NSCLC were studied (421 underwent pneumonectomy; 1,054 had a lobectomy/bilobectomy). Survival and impact of side of surgery for pneumonectomy and lesser resection groups were analyzed and compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Median survival was worse after pneumonectomy than after less extensive resections for patients overall (33 versus 57 months) and for those with stage I NSCLC (38 versus 70 months); however, median survival was better after pneumonectomy for stage II left tumors (55 versus 19 months). Pneumonectomy was an independent adverse determinant of survival for both stage I right tumors (p < 0.001) and stage I left tumors (p < 0.001), but was associated with improved survival for stage II left tumors (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

Pneumonectomy was found to be an independent determinant of survival in patients with stage I and II NSCLC, but results differed for right- and left-sided tumors. Further studies of survival comparing pneumonectomy with lesser resections should differentiate between right and left procedures.

Long-term survival following pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer: clinical implications for follow-up care

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to determine the risk of overall death in long-term survivors (> 5 years) after pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to establish the optimal follow-up strategy for these patients.

METHODS

We analyzed a single-center experience with 94 long-term survivors who underwent pneumonectomy (group A) for NSCLC between January 1992 and December 2000. Prospective tumor registry data were compared with data for 147 long-term survivors who underwent lobectomy (group B) during the same period.

RESULTS

Clinical characteristics at the time of operation differed between the two groups with more squamous histology, larger tumor size, and more advanced stage in group A compared with group B. During follow-up, late lung cancer relapses were rare in both groups (2.1% vs 1.4%), and second primary malignancies were less frequent in group A (2.1% vs 9.5%, p = 0.032). The overall 10-year survival rate was lower in group A than in group B (67.3% vs 82.8%); however, there was no significant difference in lung cancer-specific survival (93.5% vs 95.1%). Intercurrent disease was the leading cause of death in group A (14 patients, 14.9%), most commonly respiratory failure resulting from community-acquired pneumonia.

CONCLUSION

Late cancer relapse or second primary malignancies were rare in long-term survivors after pneumonectomy, but the overall mortality remained high as a result of intercurrent diseases. Continued surveillance should focus on prevention, early detection and aggressive management of intercurrent disease during follow-up care of these patients.

Morbidity, mortality, and long-term survival after sleeve lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

Sleeve lobectomy is a widely accepted procedure for central tumors for which the alternative is pneumonectomy. The purpose of this study is to assess operative mortality, morbidity, and long-term results of sleeve lobectomies performed for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

METHODS

A retrospective review of 218 patients who underwent sleeve lobectomy for NSCLC between 1981 and 2005 was undertaken. There were 186 (85%) men and 32 women with a mean age of 61.9 years (range, 19-82 years). Eighty patients (36.6%) had a preoperative contraindication to pneumonectomy. Right upper lobectomy was the most common operation (45.4%). Vascular sleeve resection was performed in 28 patients (12.8%) and was commonly associated with left upper lobectomy (n=20; 9.1%; p=0.0001). The histologic type was predominantly squamous cell carcinoma (n=164; 75%), followed by adenocarcinoma (n=46; 21%). Resection was incomplete in nine (4.1%) patients.

RESULTS

There were nine operative deaths; the operative mortality and the morbidity rates were 4.1% and 22.9%, respectively. A total of 14 (6.4%) patients presented with bronchial anastomotic complications: two were fatal postoperatively, seven patients required reoperation, three required a stent insertion, and two were managed conservatively. Multivariate analysis showed that compromised patients (p=0.001), current smoking (p=0.01), right sided resections (p=0.003), bilobectomy (p=0.03), squamous cell carcinoma (p=0.03), and presence of N1 or N2 disease (p=0.01) were risk factors for mortality and morbidity. Follow-up was complete in 208 patients (95.4%). Overall 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 53% and 28.6%, respectively. After complete resection, recurrence was local in 10 patients, mediastinal in 20, and distant in 25. By multivariate analysis, two factors significantly and independently influenced survival: nodal status (N0-N1 vs N2; p=0.01) and the stage of the lung cancer (stage I-II vs III, p=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with NSCLC, sleeve lobectomy achieves local tumor control, even in patients with preoperative contraindication to pneumonectomy and is associated with low mortality and bronchial anastomotic complication rates. Postoperative complications are higher in compromised patients, smokers, N disease, right sided resections, bilobectomies, and squamous cell cancers. The presence of N2 disease and stage III significantly worsen the prognosis.

Dissimilarity in gene expression profiles of lung adenocarcinoma in Japanese men and women

BACKGROUND

Although clinical differences in lung cancer between men and women have been noted, few studies have examined the sex dissimilarity using gene expression analysis.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the different molecular carcinogenic mechanisms involved in lung cancers in Japanese men and women.

METHODS

Patients who received surgery for stage I lung adenocarcinoma were included. RNA was extracted from cancerous and normal tissue, and gene expression was then examined with oligonucleotide microarray analysis. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was performed.

RESULTS

In a microarray analysis of tissue from 13 men and 6 women, 12 genes were under-expressed and 24 genes were overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma in women compared with men. Genes related to cell cycle were present in underexpressed genes, and genes related to apoptosis, ubiquitination, and metabolism were observed in overexpressed genes. Of interest among the selected genes were WAP four-disulfide core domain 2 (WFDC2) and major histocompatibility complex, class II, DM alpha (HLA-DMA); these genes were classified into 2 groups by hierarchical clustering analysis. Expression of WFDC2 in nonsmokers was significantly higher than that in smokers (P=0.023). However, there was no significant difference in HLA-DMA expression between smokers and nonsmokers.

CONCLUSION

Thirty-six genes that characterize lung adenocarcinoma by sex were selected. This information may contribute to the development of novel diagnostic techniques and treatment modalities that consider sex differences in lung adenocarcinoma.

Can reproductive pattern explain better survival of women with lung cancer?

We examined whether women's survival from lung cancer is influenced by hormonal factors associated with reproductive events. In all 4235 women and 4797 men born on 1 January 1935 or later with lung cancer diagnosed in 1978-1999 were identified in the Danish Cancer Registry and followed up to 31 December 2002 by linkage to the Central Population Registry. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate hazard rate ratios (HRs), and survival probabilities were calculated. Both nulliparous women and men without children had worse prognoses than those with children (women: HR 1.14; CI 1.03-1.26; men: HR 1.24; CI 1.15-1.34). The 5-year survival rate of nulliparous women with adenocarcinoma was 20.3%, while that for parous women was 20.5%; the corresponding rates for men were 13.0% and 16.6%. The number of children affected the risk for death in both sexes, indicating that the finding is not due to hormonal factors but to unmeasured elements such as socio-economic status or lifestyle factors related to parenthood.

Prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer surgery

AIMS

Complete surgical resection of primary tumours remains the treatment with the greatest likelihood for survival in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although TNM stage is the most important prognostic parameter in NSCLC, additional parameters are required to explain the large variability in postoperative outcome. The present review aims at providing an overview of the currently known prognostic markers for postoperative outcome.

METHODS

We performed an electronic literature search on the MEDLINE database to identify relevant studies describing the risk factors in NSCLC surgery. The references reported in all the identified studies were used for completion of the literature search.

RESULTS

Poor pulmonary function, cardiovascular disease, male gender, advanced age, TNM stage, non-squamous cell histology, pneumonectomy, low hospital volume and little experience of the surgeon were identified as risk factors for postoperative outcome. However, with the exception of TNM stage and extent of resection, the literature demonstrates conflicting results on the prognostic power of most factors. The role of molecular biological factors, neoadjuvant treatment and adjuvant treatment is not well investigated yet.

CONCLUSIONS

The advantage of knowing about the existence of comorbidity and prognostic risk factors may provide the clinician with the ability to identify poor prognostic patients and establish the most appropriate treatment strategy. The assessment of prognostic factors remains an area of active investigation and a promising field of research in optimising therapy of NSCLC patients.

Resection for Tumors With Carinal Involvement: Technical Aspects, Results, and Prognostic Factors

BACKGROUND

Resection of tumors with carinal involvement remains a challenge because of specific problems of operative technique and airway management. We reviewed our experience with carinal resection and studied factors influencing postoperative course and long-term survival.

METHODS

Between 1983 and 2002, 65 patients underwent a carinal resection for non-small-cell lung cancers involving the carina (54 squamous cell carcinomas and 11 adenocarcinomas).

RESULTS

Fifty-eight right sleeve pneumonectomies and 2 left sleeve pneumonectomies were performed. In addition, five tracheocarinal resections with double bronchial reimplantation (no lung resection) were also performed. The intraoperative airway management consisted of high-frequency jet ventilation in 83% of patients and intermittent conventional ventilation through the operative field in the remaining 17% of patients. Operative mortality was 7.7%. Resection was complete in 61 patients. The overall 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 26.5% and 10.6%, respectively. Patients with N0 or N1 disease had a 5-year survival of 38% compared with 5.3% for those with N2 disease (p < 0.01). At multivariate analysis only nodal status (N0, N1 versus N2; p = 0.0046) had a significant impact on long-term survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Carinal resection provides acceptable results in terms of operative mortality and long-term survival rates. Patients should be carefully selected and probably enrolled in a multimodality treatment program in case of anticipated mediastinal lymph node involvement.

Local Control of Disease Related to Lymph Node Involvement in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Sleeve Lobectomy Compared With Pneumonectomy

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence has suggested that sleeve lobectomy might be a viable alternative procedure for pneumonectomy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including patients with adequate pulmonary reserve. This study was designed to compare the outcomes of the two procedures and to determine adequate surgical indications for each procedure.

METHODS

From January of 1989 to December of 1998, sleeve lobectomy was performed in 49 patients, and 200 patients underwent pneumonectomy for NSCLC. By reviewing the computed tomographic scans, bronchoscopic findings, and operative reports, we selected 49 patients on whom sleeve resection could have been performed. The clinical outcomes of the sleeve lobectomies (SL) and pneumonectomies (PN) were analyzed, particularly in relation to nodal status and recurrence patterns.

RESULTS

Operative mortality was 6.1% (3 of 49 patients) in the SL group and 4.1% (2 of 49 patients) in the PN group. Mean follow-up period was 51 months (range, 5 to 149). The overall 5-year survival rate was not substantially different between the two groups (SL: 53.7% vs PN: 59.5%, p = 0.510). Recurrence occurred in 57% (26 of 46 patients) of the SL group and in 30% (14 of 47 patients) of the PN group. The 5-year freedom from recurrence rates were better in the PN group (SL: 45.7% vs PN: 67.9%, p = 0.017). Locoregional recurrences occurred in 32.6% (15 of 46 patients) of the SL group and in 8.5% (4 of 47 patients) of the PN group. In multivariate analysis, performing sleeve resection in patients with a positive N1 lymph node was a significant risk factor for developing locoregional recurrence (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the overall survival rates were similar, sleeve resection resulted in higher locoregional recurrence, particularly in patients with positive N1 lymph nodes. This finding suggests that sleeve resection should be performed in selected patients, such as those without lymph node metastasis.

[Agreement between type of lung resection planned and resection subsequently performed on lung cancer patients]

OBJECTIVE

To assess agreement between planned lung resections and the type subsequently performed on a series of patients, to assess whether tumor location (central or peripheral) affected the degree of discrepancy, and, in the case of unscheduled pneumonectomies, to examine why the planned resection had to be extended.

METHOD

Prospective, observational clinical study of 199 patients scheduled for lung cancer surgery. Tumors were preoperatively classified as central or peripheral, and the type of operation planned--lobectomy (or bilobectomy) or pneumonectomy--was compared with the operation finally performed. Rates of agreement and Wilks' lambda statistic were calculated.

RESULTS

Twenty unscheduled pneumonectomies were performed. Agreement between planned and performed operations was found in 86.9% of cases (76.9% in central tumors and 95.4% in peripheral tumors). Wilks' lambda statistic was 0.38 (0.42 for central tumors and 0.17 for peripheral tumors). Seven unscheduled pneumonectomies were performed due to hilar node involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

The resections performed differed from the resections initially planned in 13% of the bronchial carcinoma operations, in most cases because the planned lobectomy had to be converted to pneumonectomy, a situation which occurred more often with central tumors and was more often due to direct invasion of anatomic structures rather than hilar spread.

Surgery for early stage non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection (usually lobectomy) is considered the treatment of choice for individuals with stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and for some patients with resectable stage IIIA NSCLC. However much of the evidence supporting surgery is observational.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether, in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer, surgical resection of cancer improves disease-specific and all-cause mortality compared with no treatment, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. To compare the effectiveness of different surgical approaches (e.g. lobectomy versus limited resection) in improving disease-specific or all-cause mortality in patients with early stage lung cancer.

SEARCH STRATEGY

Electronic databases (the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE and EMBASE (1966 to December 2003)), bibliographies, handsearching of a journal and discussion with experts were used to identify published and unpublished trials.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials comparing surgery alone (or in combination with other therapy) with non-surgical therapy and randomised trials comparing different surgical approaches.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

A pooled hazard ratio was calculated where possible. Tests for statistical heterogeneity were performed.

MAIN RESULTS

Eleven trials were included with a total of 1910 subjects. There were no studies with an untreated control group. In a pooled analysis of three trials, four-year survival was superior in patients with resectable stage I to IIIA NSCLC who underwent resection and complete mediastinal lymph node dissection compared with those undergoing resection and lymph node sampling, the hazard ratio was estimated to be 0.78 (95% CI 0.65-0.93, P = 0.005). A further trial found an increased rate of local recurrence in patients with stage I NSCLC treated with limited resection compared with lobectomy. One small trial found a survival advantage in favour of chemotherapy followed by surgery compared to chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy in patients with stage IIIA NSCLC. However none of the other trials included in the review demonstrated a significant improvement in survival in patients treated with surgery compared with non surgical therapy. Several of the included trials had potential methodological weaknesses.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions about the efficacy of surgery for local and loco-regional NSCLC are limited by the small number of participants studied to date and potential methodological weaknesses of trials. Current evidence suggests that lung cancer resection combined with complete mediastinal lymph node dissection is associated with a small to modest improvement in survival compared with lung cancer resection combined with systematic sampling of mediastinal nodes in patients with stage I to IIIA NSCLC.

[Prognostic indicators in stage I non-small cell lung cancer]

INTRODUCTION

Determinating the prognosis of patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a challenge. Since up to 30% of patients who have undergone surgical resection experience recurrence, generally in distant organs, it is reasonable to postulate that neo-adjuvant or adjuvant treatments might be useful. Better knowledge of prognostic factors could perhaps define which patient populations should be targeted with such treatments.

STATE OF THE ART

Numerous potential prognostic factors, relating to the disease (TNM classification, histology, tumor size, blood vessels invasion, micro-metastasis, serum or molecular markers), the patient (gender, age, co-morbidity) as well as the treatment (delay, resection, lymph node dissection, neo-adjuvant and adjuvant treatments), are discussed.

PERSPECTIVES

These prognostic factors should be integrated into the design of future clinical trials of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy attempting to evaluate the effectiveness of various combinations of neo-adjuvant or adjuvant therapies.

CONCLUSIONS

These factors may offer the opportunity to clinically and biologically characterize the different subgroups of patients, leading to a more rational, and perhaps individualized, choice of therapy.

Sleeve lobectomy or pneumonectomy: optimal management strategy using decision analysis techniques

BACKGROUND

The choice between sleeve lobectomy and pneumonectomy is controversial for patients with early-stage lung cancer and who have acceptable lung function.

METHODS

We performed a meta-analysis of results of sleeve lobectomy and pneumonectomy published in English from 1990 to 2003. A decision model was developed with 5-year survival, quality-adjusted life years (QALY), and cost effectiveness as the outcomes, and sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The model favored sleeve lobectomy (3.5 percentage point survival advantage) when the reward was 5-year survival; the results were influenced primarily by the 5-year survival rates for patients who did not develop recurrent cancer. Sleeve lobectomy was strongly favored when the reward was QALY (1.53 QALY advantage). Sleeve lobectomy was more cost effective than pneumonectomy, and had an incremental cost effectiveness ratio of $1,300/QALY.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with anatomically appropriate early-stage lung cancer, sleeve lobectomy offers better long-term survival and quality of life than does pneumonectomy and is more cost effective.

Pneumonectomy for stage i (T1N0 and T2N0) nonsmall cell lung cancer has potent, adverse impact on survival

BACKGROUND

Surgically treated, stage I (T1N0 and T2N0) nonsmall cell lung cancer has a relatively favorable prognosis. Our aim was to determine whether performing a pneumonectomy in this group of patients has an impact on survival.

METHODS

Four hundred eighty-five patients with stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer undergoing lung resection between 1991 and 2000 were studied. Three hundred seventy-four patients underwent a smaller resection than a pneumonectomy and 111 had a pneumonectomy.

RESULTS

Patients undergoing less extensive resections were older (mean age, 65 vs 63 years) (p = 0.01); these patients were also more likely to have a history of chronic obstructive airway disease (9% vs 2%) (p = 0.01) or asthma (10% vs 3%) (p = 0.04), nonsquamous cell type (56% vs 27%) (p < 0.0001), and T1 tumor stage (66% vs 17%) (p = 0.002) than patients having a pneumonectomy. Operative mortality was 2.4% versus 8% (p = 0.01). Overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year Kaplan-Meier survival rates (95% confidence interval [CI]) after less extensive resections were 85% (CI, 82% to 90%), 63% (CI, 56% to 69%), and 50% (CI, 42% to 57%), respectively, and after pneumonectomy the survival rates were 66% (CI, 53% to 73%), 47% (CI, 35% to 57%), and 44% (CI, 32% to 55%), respectively (p = 0.0006). When the Cox proportional hazards model was applied to all study patients (n = 485), pneumonectomy (p = 0.001), T2 stage (p = 0.006), older age (p = 0.03), and male gender (p = 0.03) were independent adverse predictors of survival. When the analysis was limited to the patients having T1N0 disease (n = 145), pneumonectomy (p = 0.0008), older age (p = 0.05), and nonsquamous cell type (p = 0.02) were independent adverse determinants of survival. When only the patients with T2N0 disease were analyzed (n = 340), male gender (p = 0.0005) and pneumonectomy (p = 0.01) were independent negative predictors of survival.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the patients who underwent pneumonectomy for stage T1N0 or T2N0 nonsmall cell lung cancer had a significantly poorer survival than those patients who underwent smaller lung resections.

Tumor stage and early mortality for surgical resections in lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Postoperative mortality rates have been published in relation to operative procedure or preexisting pulmonary and extrapulmonary diseases. We analyzed our patients for the effect of the postoperative tumor stage on perioperative mortality.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Retrospective study of all thoracotomies for resections ( n=1281) in primary lung cancer from January 1987 to December 1997. Uni- and multivariate analysis was performed for operative procedure, mortality (30 and 90 days), tumor stage, sex, age, tumor localization, and completeness of resection. Radical resection was achieved in 91.9% of the patients.

RESULTS

Overall postoperative deaths occurred in 4% and 7.3% of patients after 30 and 90 days respectively. Depending on the operative procedure the mortality after segmental resection ( n=116) was 0.9% and 1.7%, lobectomy ( n=621) 3.0% and 5.7%, sleeve lobectomy ( n=152) 5.3% and 7.9%, and pneumonectomy ( n=314) 6.7% and 12.5%, respectively. Within 30 and 90 days postoperatively deaths occurred, respectively, in 0.8% and 1.0% of stage I patients ( n=493), 5.4% and 5.4% of stage II ( n=147), 4.9% and 8.8% of stage IIIa ( n=388), 7.2% and 16.6% of stage IIIb ( n=148), 8.9% and 20.5% and of stage IV ( n=114). Multivariate analysis showed postoperative tumor stage to be the factor most closely related to within the first 90 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Tumor stage but not type of resection is the strongest predictor of postoperative mortality in these subpopulations.

Sleeve lobectomy for bronchogenic cancers: factors affecting survival

BACKGROUND

Sleeve lobectomy is a parenchyma-sparing procedure that is particularly valuable in patients with cardiac or pulmonary contraindications to pneumonectomy. The purpose of this study is to report our experience with sleeve lobectomy for bronchogenic cancer and to investigate factors associated with long-term survival.

METHODS

Between January 1981 and June 2001, 169 patients underwent sleeve lobectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer (n = 139) or carcinoid tumor (n = 30), including 61 with a preoperative contraindication to pneumonectomy. Mean age was 59 +/- 14 years (range, 19 to 82 years). Vascular sleeve resection was performed in 11 patients. The remaining bronchial stump contained microscopic disease in 7 patients.

RESULTS

Major bronchial anastomotic complications occurred in 6 (3.6%) patients: one was fatal postoperatively, three required reoperation, and two were managed conservatively. In the non-small-cell lung cancer group, operative mortality was 2.9% (4 of 139), and overall 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 52% and 28%, respectively. Six patients experienced local recurrence after complete resection. By multivariate analysis, two factors significantly and independently influenced survival: nodal status (N0 or N1 versus N2; p = 0.01) and microscopic invasion of the bronchial stump (p = 0.02). In the carcinoid tumor group, there were no operative deaths, and overall 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 100% and 92%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleeve lobectomy achieves local tumor control and is associated with low mortality and bronchial anastomotic complication rates. Long-term survival is excellent for carcinoid tumors. For patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, N2 disease or incomplete resection is associated with a worse prognosis; outcome is not affected by presence of a preoperative contraindication to pneumonectomy.

Parenchymal sparing operations for bronchogenic carcinoma

By the end of the 1950s, the principles of tracheobronchial and pulmonary artery (PA) reconstruction had been established, and their successful clinical application had taken place. It was not until very recently, however, that these techniques aroused widespread interest among thoracic surgeons as a means to achieve complete cancer resection while preserving functioning lung parenchyma. At the present time, sleeve resection of the bronchus and/or PA has a definite role in the surgical management of lung cancer. Growing interest in this field is evidenced by an increasing number of technical variations intended to adapt the basic technique to the different anatomical settings. Also pitfalls, complications, and their prevention and treatment are being extensively described. Last but not least, functional and oncological long-term results, comparing favorably with those of more extended resections, are being reported by many groups. This demonstrates that sleeve lobectomy is no longer reserved only for particularly skillful surgeons. Sleeve lobectomy has achieved its rightful position among the techniques commonly used in thoracic surgery after 40 years of improving understanding and alternating enthusiasm and legitimate doubts.

Long-term results of combined-modality therapy in resectable non-small-cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

Assessment of long-term results of combined-modality therapy for resectable non-small-cell lung cancer is hampered by insufficient follow-up and small patient numbers. To evaluate this, we reviewed our collective experience.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study was a retrospective chart review recording demographics, tumor stage, treatment, and outcome of consecutive patients undergoing surgery. Survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier, and prognostic factors were analyzed by log-rank and Cox regression.

RESULTS

From January 1993 to December 1999, 470 patients were treated, with follow-up in 446: 27 stage I, 55 stage II, 316 stage III, 43 stage IV (solitary M1), and five uncertain. Chemotherapy was mitomycin/vinblastine/cisplatin (174 patients [39.0%]), carboplatin/paclitaxel (148 [33.2%]), and other combination (124 [27.8%]); 75 patients (16.8%) received induction radiation. Resection was complete in 77.4%, incomplete in 8.3%, attempted but with gross residual disease afterward in 1.8%, and not performed in 12.6%. Pathologic complete response occurred in 20 patients (4.5%). With median follow-up of 31.0 months for patients still alive, median and 3-year survival for pathologic stages 0, I, II, III, and IV were more than 90 months, 73%; 42 months, 52%; 23 months, 35%; 16 months, 28%; and 16 months, 23% (P <.001). In a multivariate analysis, age, complete resection, pathologic stage, and pneumonectomy, but not induction regimen, significantly influenced survival.

CONCLUSION

Although pathologic complete response outside the protocol setting is low, survival of this large patient cohort is comparable to that of patients in published combined-modality trials. Survival is significantly influenced by patient age, complete resection, pathologic stage, and pneumonectomy. These results can help guide standard clinical practice and emphasize the need for novel induction regimens.

Stage I non-small cell lung cancer: a pragmatic approach to prognosis after complete resection

BACKGROUND

Long-term results of the surgical treatment of stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are disappointing.

METHODS

Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted on 515 consecutive lung resections for stage I NSCLC performed from 1990 to 1999 and identified by reviewing a database into which data were entered prospectively. Tumors were staged as stages IA (n = 147) and IB (n = 348) according to the 1997 UICC (Union Internationale Contre le Cancer) pTNM classification.

RESULTS

Operative mortality rates were 6.2%, 5.3%, 2.3%, and 0% for pneumonectomy, bilobectomy, lobectomy, and lesser resections, respectively. Overall survival rate was 61.1% (55.8% to 66.5%) at 5 years. Univariate analysis identified three significant adverse prognosticators: arteriosclerosis as comorbidity, pathologic T2 status, and blood vessel invasion. Male sex (p = 0.056) and performance of pneumonectomy (p = 0.057) were at the threshold of statistical significance. At multivariate analysis, three independent prognosticators entered the model: arteriosclerosis, blood vessels invasion, and performance of pneumonectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term survival of patients with completely resected stage I NSCLC was adversely influenced in a relatively balanced way by factors related to the clinical status of the patient, to the tumor, and to the treatment.