title: [Diagnosis and surgical treatment of giant intrathoracic solid tumors].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the experience in diagnosis and surgical treatment of giant intrathoracic solid tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data of surgically treated 36 patients with giant intrathoracic solid tumors were analyzed, including 19 males and 17 females. Complete resection was achieved in 34 cases with superior vena cava angioplasty in 3 cases and ligation of the left anonymous vein in 2 cases. Six patients received postoperative radiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The symptoms in 32 cases were significantly improved. Two patients (5.6%) died of postoperative respiratory infection and failure. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 14.2 days. Pulmonary edema occurred in 6 cases due to rapid decompression of the lung. Pathological results showed that 25 cases had benign tumors and 11 had malignancy. During the follow-up of 1 to 22 years, all patients with benign tumors were still alive, but the patients with malignant tumors had a mean survival time of only 2.1 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical treatment for giant intrathoracic solid tumors is suggested whenever technically possible. Even though a tumor can not be completely resected, satisfied results could still be achieved if combined with postoperative radiotherapy. Proper anesthesia, satisfied exposure with a suitable incision, appropriate resection pattern and hemostatic method are the keys for successful surgical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China. zhaobaiqin@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Bai-Qin
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ai-Qiang
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Ru-Kun
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009455:Neurofibroma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000209:etiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D047368:Tumor Burden