[Effect of perioperative donor blood transfusion on prognosis of bronchial cancer]

Abstract

Immunological research and experimental animal studies have shown that allogeneic blood has an immunosuppressive effect. Several clinical investigations have demonstrated the negative influence of blood transfusions on the prognosis after curative resection of colorectal carcinoma. However, there are only a few studies about the influence after complete removal of lung cancer, and the results are contradictory. In our retrospective study we analyzed the follow-up results of 224 patients (192 men, 32 women; average age 57 years) on whom we had performed a curative resection of their bronchogenic carcinoma. A total of 119 patients had received nonspecific random blood transfusions. The survival rate for patients with blood transfusions was significantly worse in comparison to the non-transfused group 2 years after the operation (74% vs 59%, P = 0.019); after 5 years, however, no difference could be seen (43% vs 43%). Even when we subdivided our patients according to tumor cell type, tumor stage, differentiation and method of resection, the negative influence of transfused blood was confirmed for the 2-year survival rate, but again had disappeared 5 years after the operation.