Clinical outcome after surgical resection of lung metastases from melanoma.
BACKGROUND
Surgical therapy plays an important role in the management of selected patients with metastatic melanoma.


OBJECTIVE
A retrospective review of 13 patients who underwent surgical resection of lung metastases from melanoma from 1996 to 2003 was performed. The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical outcome and survival time.


METHODS
Mean age was 45 years old (range: 31-64). Complete tumour resection was confirmed histologically. Nine patients presented one single pulmonary lesion, two lesions (n = 3) and three lesions (n = 1) but in all cases confined in the same pulmonary lobe.


RESULTS
Median survival time (MST) for the entire group was 20 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 16-24 months). The median time to disease progression after lung metastasectomy was 5 months (95% CI: 3-7 months). MST, according to the prognostic groups proposed by the International Registry of Lung Metastases, was 17 months (95% CI: 6-28 months) for group I (n = 6), MST of 20 months (95% CI: 16-24 months) for group II (n = 5) and MST of 4 months for group III (n = 2), without differences statistically significant (log-rank p = 0.423). MST regarding the time of disease free interval from diagnostic of primary tumour and lung metastases (< 36 months [n = 5] vs > 36 months [n = 8]) was 20 months and 17 months respectively, without differences statistically significant (log rank p = 0.222).


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical resection when feasible provides survival rates superior to any available nonsurgical therapy. In carefully selected patients, when the resection is performed with curative intent, it may result in improved survival.
Conill
Carlos
C
Department of Radiation Oncology, Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. cconill@clinic.ub.es
Gimferrer
José María
JM
Marruecos
Jordi
J
Domingo-Domènech
Josep
J
Vilella
Ramón
R
Catalán
Miquel
M
Malvehy
Josep
J
Puig
Susana
S
Castel
Teresa
T
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome