[Place of radical surgery in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Apropos of 969 cases].

PURPOSE: Retrospective analysis of the results of radical surgery in a series of 969 patients presenting with non-small cell lung cancer.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

From April 1984 to December 1981, 969 patients underwent radical surgery with mediastinal node dissection for non-small cell lung cancer. Surgery included 507 pneumonectomies, 447 lobectomies and 15 segmentectomies (for patients suffering from respiratory failure).

RESULTS

The rate of intrahospital mortality was 4.3%. The rate of crude survival at 5-years was 45.8%. The tumor size (P = 0.004) and visceral pleura ruptures (P = 0.01) were significantly correlated to the 5-year survival rate that was reaching 56% for patients with no demonstrable metastasis to regional lymph nodes (NO), 46.6% for patients with metastasis to lymph nodes in the peribronchial or the ipsilateral hilar region (N1), and 20.8% for patients with metastasis to the ipsilateral mediastinal and subcarinal lymph nodes (N2) (P = 0.001). In case of stage N2 cancer, the 5-year survival rate was 28.7% when only one anatomical level was involved, and 8.7% when more than one anatomical level was involved (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

The main prognostic factor was nodal involvement.