Outcome of patients after curative resection of pulmonary metastases.
BACKGROUND
Resective surgery can play a role in solitary pulmonary metastasis or in a few multiple metastases of the lungs.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective analysis of the cure rate and survival in patients with pulmonary metastases after surgical resection. Inclusion criteria included no evidence of extrapulmonary metastases or local control of the primary neoplasia. Selective adjunctive therapy was added when applicable.


RESULTS
Twenty-five out of 53 patients with resected pulmonary metastases are still alive and disease free. After a 5-year period of follow-up the cure rate obtained was 42%.


CONCLUSIONS
In selected patients, resective surgery of solitary or limited multiple pulmonary metastases should be useful, offering the patients a high rate of curability and long term survival. These positive results suggest that adjunctive therapies should be added after resective surgery.
Thoracic Surgery Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain.
M A
MA
Callejas
J J
JJ
Grau
X
X
Belda
J M
JM
Gimferrer
E
E
Canalis
M
M
Catalan
J
J
Sanchez-Lloret
J
J
Estape
D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome