Results of pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer

• Published in: Acta oncologica Vol. 36; no. 5; p. 493
• Main Authors: Mizushima, Y, Noto, H, Kusajima, Y, Yamashita, R, Sugiyama, S, Kashii, T, Kobayashi, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 1997
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - surgery; Aged; Airway Obstruction - pathology; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous - pathology; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous - surgery; Carcinoma, Large Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Large Cell - surgery; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - pathology; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - surgery; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - surgery; Cause of Death; Combined Modality Therapy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Forced Expiratory Volume; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Lung Neoplasms - surgery; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Pneumonectomy - adverse effects; Pneumonectomy - methods; Pneumonia - etiology; Prognosis; Survival Analysis; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome; Vital Capacity
• ISSN: 0284-186X
• DOI: 10.3109/02841869709001305

To assess the role of pneumonectomy for lung cancer and the factors affecting the prognosis, 107 patients who had undergone pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) between January, 1985 and March, 1996, were analyzed. They included 81 squamous cell carcinoma, 22 adenocarcinoma, 3 large cell carcinoma, and one adenosquamous cell carcinoma, with 8 patients in post-operative stage I, 15 in stage II, 51 in stage IIIA, and 33 in stage IIIB of the disease. The 5-year survival rate was 54.7% in stages I + II, 38.0% in stage IIIA, and <4% in stage IIIB. In stages I-IIIA, the patients with squamous cell carcinoma showed a significantly better prognosis than those with adenocarcinoma (50.6 vs. 0%, p < 0.01). The prognosis was also better, but not statistically significant, for patients with central type compared with those with peripheral type in both all histologic types (58.0 vs. 8.4%) and only squamous cell type (59.3 vs. 18.8%). A better prognosis observed in squamous histologic type or central type seemed to be related to a better N factor. Pneumonectomy remains the treatment of choice for lung cancer, but seems not to be justified for patients with stage IIIB due to their poor prognosis.