Carcinoma of the bronchus with unsuspected microscopic resection-line involvement.
In a series of 560 pulmonary resections for bronchial carcinoma, unsuspected microscopic tumor was present at the bronchial resection margin in 26 patients (4.5%). Adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy was given in two patients. In follow-up times ranging from 1 to 72 months (mean, 22 months), 58% of patients were alive and free of recurrent disease. Twelve patients underwent periodic surveillance bronchoscopy in an attempt to identify early local recurrence. Eighty-three percent of these patients were alive and disease-free in follow-up times from 4 to 72 months (mean, 29.7 months). Only one choscopies. It was concluded that microscopic residual resection-line tumor does not preclude prolonged survival and that no benefit from surveillance bronchoscopy could be demonstrated in this small patient sample.
Whyte
R I
RI
Department of General Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.
Kaplan
D K
DK
Sharpe
D A
DA
Muehrcke
D D
DD
Donnelly
R J
RJ
D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male