Malignant minor pleural effusion detected on thoracotomy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer: is tumor resection beneficial for prognosis?
BACKGROUND
This study attempts to clarify the benefit of surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with malignant minor pleural effusion that is detected at thoracotomy.


METHODS
Records of surgical patients with NSCLC were reviewed, with a definition of minor pleural effusion as less than 300 mL. The patients were divided into three groups as follows: (1) group C consisted of patients who underwent grossly complete resection; group I, patients with incomplete tumor resection; and group E, patients who underwent exploratory thoracotomy only.


RESULTS
There were 196 patients who had minor pleural effusion; of these, 96 (46%) underwent an examination to define the malignancy status of pleural effusion after surgery. In 43 patients (45%), the effusion was found to be malignant. The median survival time and 5-year survival rate, respectively, were 13 months and 9% for group C (n = 11); 34 months and 10% for group I (n = 14; p = 0.3); and 17 months and 0% for group E (n = 18; p = 0.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Tumor resection is not beneficial for the survival of patients with NSCLC who have a minor malignant pleural effusion.
Sawabata
Noriyoshi
N
Division of Surgery, Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan. nori@toneyama.hosp.go.jp
Matsumura
Akihide
A
Motohiro
Akira
A
Osaka
Yoshihiko
Y
Gennga
Keiichiro
K
Fukai
Shimao
S
Mori
Takashi
T
D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013908:Thoracotomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome