Prognosis of stage pIIIA non small cell lung cancer after mediastinal lymph node dissection or sampling.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to define the impact of systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection (MLD) and mediastinal lymph node sampling (MLS) on the long-term results of patients suffering from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with N2 disease (pIIIA/N2).


METHODS
From 1999 to 2002, patients with NSCLC in stage pIIIA/N2 were retrospectively classified according to MLD or MLS procedure. Several clinical and pathological factors such as overall survival, disease-free interval, and complications were recorded and analyzed.


RESULTS
Ninety-seven (64%) patients were subjected to MLD and 54 (35%) to MLS. Comparison between the two studied groups disclosed more frequent detection of one station pN2 nodes in MLS specimens (p <0.001), while skip metastasis was more often encountered after MLD (p=0.05). Duration of the operation, amount of postoperative bleeding and incidence of prolonged air leak were not significantly different between MLD and MLS groups. Cox regression analysis of all cases disclosed squamous histology as the only favorable factor of survival. The disease-free interval was significantly longer after MLD (p <0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Although radical lymphadenectomy did not offer significant prolongation of survival, the disease-free interval was significantly longer after MLD compared with MLS.
Thoracic Surgery Department, "Sismanogleio" General Hospital, Athens, Greece. panmisthos@yahoo.gr
P
P
Misthos
E
E
Sepsas
J
J
Kokotsakis
I
I
Skottis
A
A
Lioulias
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008482:Mediastinum; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome