[Results of resection treatment of locally limited bronchial carcinoma (Stages I and II)]

Abstract

Of 238 patients operated upon for bronchogenic carcinoma between 1977 and 1985 the tumor was locally limited in 108, of whom, according to the new international staging system, 66 patients were in stage I (T1N0 + T2N0) and 42 in stage II (T1N1 + T2N1). 89 were male and 19 (18%) female. The mean age was 61.6 years in stage I und 63 years in stage II patients. 26 patients (24%) were aged over 70. All patients underwent potentially curative excision of the tumor. This was accomplished by partial lung resection in 97 patients, of whom 84 underwent lobectomy with 2 postoperative deaths (2.4%). Operative mortality amounted to 5.5% in the whole group (6/108), with 3% (2/66) in stage I and 9.5% (4/42) in stage II patients. The absolute survival rate at 5 years was 50% for all 108 patients, 59% for the 66 patients in stage I and 39% for the 42 patients in stage II. It was 70% for 15 patients with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, 54% for 20 patients with adenomatous cancer and 49% for 56 patients with squamous carcinoma. At present 62 of the 108 patients are still alive (57.4%), i.e. 45 out of 66 in stage I (68%) and 17 out of 42 in stage II (40.5%). This retrospective study therefore confirms former reports that long term results are encouraging in the locally limited stages of pulmonary cancer. In addition, operative mortality is low because almost all these tumors can be removed by partial lung resection. In stage I lobectomy is the method of choice.