Short-and long-term outcomes after pneumonectomy for primary lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the recent results of pneumonectomy (Pn) for primary lung cancer.


METHODS
Thirty-four patients undergoing Pn and 26 patients undergoing broncho-or angioplastic lobectomy (namely, parenchyma-sparing lung resection) from January 1993 to December 2004 were reviewed. The oncological outcome of Pn was analyzed by disease-free survival (DFS). To assess morbidity and mortality, we compared the outcomes of patients undergoing Pn and parenchyma-sparing lung resection.


RESULTS
Five-year DFS of the Pn group was 43%. DFS of pathological stage I/II patients was significantly better than that of stage III/IV (73.3% vs. 8.5%, P = 0.0001). The occurrence of minor and major postoperative complications was not different between Pn and parenchyma-sparing lung resection (52.9% vs. 61.5%, P = 0.5054; 17.6% vs. 7.7%, P = 0.1675). In the late period, respiratory function after Pn was significantly impaired in comparison with parenchyma-sparing lung resection. Moreover, 4 noncancer-related deaths occurred in the Pn group.


CONCLUSIONS
The oncological outcome after Pn for patients with lung cancer of less than stage III was satisfactory. Although operative morbidity was not different between the two groups, the loss of pulmonary reserve after Pn was more severe after than the parenchyma-sparing lung resection.
Kawaguchi
Takeshi
T
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, Nara, Japan.
Tojo
Takashi
T
Kushibe
Keiji
K
Kimura
Michitaka
M
Nagata
Yoko
Y
Taniguchi
Shigeki
S
D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012119:Respiration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome