Prognosis of resected non-small cell lung cancer patients with carcinomatous pleuritis of minimal disease.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to clarify the prognosis of resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with carcinomatous pleuritis of minimal disease which might be considered as the next advanced stage of positive pleural lavage cytology.


METHODS
The data were collected from a questionnaire survey on the survival of the patients with carcinomatous pleuritis found at thoracotomy from 1985 to December 1994 which was conducted by the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG).


RESULTS
Out of 227 patients with carcinomatous pleuritis found at thoracotomy who had available information on a survival, 100 patients who underwent a resection of the primary tumor had carcinomatous pleuritis of minimal disease defined based on the criteria of the Japan Lung Cancer Society. The mean malignant fluid volume (+/-S.E.) was 37.1 (6.3) ml and the mean number of pleural disseminated nodules was 5.6 (0.9). A lobectomy was performed in 79 patients, a pneumonectomy in 11 and a limited resection in ten. The 3- and 5-year survival rates were 31.8 and 22.8%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The prognosis of resected NSCLC patients with carcinomatous pleuritis of minimal disease was unexpectedly good. This indicates that no fine line may exist between positive pleural lavage cytology findings and the aforementioned lesion.
National Kyushu Cancer Center, 3-1-1, Notame, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 811-1395, Japan. yichinos@nk-cc.go.jp
Y
Y
Ichinose
R
R
Tsuchiya
T
T
Koike
O
O
Kuwahara
K
K
Nakagawa
Y
Y
Yamato
K
K
Kobayashi
Y
Y
Watanabe
M
M
Kase
K
K
Yokoi
D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate