Outcomes of unexpected pathologic N1 and N2 disease after video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess early and late outcomes of pathologic N1 or N2 disease unexpectedly detected in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and pathologic features of patients with unexpected N1 or N2 disease after video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for clinical stage I disease and their early and late outcomes, including survival and recurrence pattern.

Results: Between 2004 and 2008, 547 patients with clinical stage I disease underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy, and of these, 89 were found to have pathologic N1 (n = 49) or N2 (n = 40) disease. No in-hospital mortality was noted during the postoperative period. For patients receiving adjuvant treatment, the median time interval between discharge from surgical intervention and start of adjuvant treatment was 24 days. The median follow-up time was 21.3 months. The 3-year overall survival was 98% for patients with N1 disease and 89% for patients with N2 disease. During follow-up, 33 (37%) patients had a recurrence. The pattern of recurrence was locoregional in 7, distant in 21, and both in 5 patients. The 3-year disease-free survival was 59% for patients with N1 disease and 33% for patients with N2 disease.

Conclusions: For patients with pathologic N1 or N2 disease after video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy, survival was comparable with that after lobectomy through a thoracotomy. Even if lymph node metastasis is unexpectedly detected during video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for clinical stage I disease, there is no need to convert to conventional thoracotomy.