Surgical outcomes of non-small-cell lung carcinoma in patients previously treated for gastric cancer

Abstract

Objectives: Although the incidence of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a second malignancy is increasing, the prognosis remains controversial. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the prognosis of patients with NSCLC who had previously been treated for gastric cancer (PGC).

Methods: The clinicopathological records of patients who underwent complete surgical resection for NSCLC in three institutions from 2000 to 2013 were retrospectively investigated.

Results: A total of 4651 patients were eligible for this study: 100 (2.1%) were patients with PGC and 4551 (97.9%) were patients with NSCLC who had not previously been treated for gastric cancer (NGC). The populations of older patients (P < 0.001), males (P < 0.001), limited resection for NSCLC (P = 0.015) and non-adenocarcinoma (P = 0.024) were significantly higher in the PGC, than in the NGC group. Overall survival did not significantly differ between the PGC and NGC groups (76.4 vs 74.5% P = 0.82). Multivariate analysis revealed that more advanced age, male sex, higher serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels, more advanced clinical stage of lung cancer and nonadenocarcinoma were independent factors for a poor prognosis, whereas a history of gastric cancer was not. None of the factors associated with gastric cancer affected the survival of patients with PGC.

Conclusions: After surgical treatment for lung cancer, a history of gastric cancer treatment had low impact on survival and no factors related to gastric cancer influence the outcomes. Curative surgery for NSCLC should be recommended when previously treated gastric cancer is well controlled.

Keywords: Gastric cancer; Non-small-cell lung cancer; Prognosis; Second primary tumours.