Surgical resection of lung metastases: results from 529 patients.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to determine clinical, pathological, and treatment-relevant variables associated with long-term (90-month) overall survival in patients with lung metastases undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy.


METHODS
A retrospective review was performed of patients who were admitted with lung metastases, and who underwent thoracotomy for resection, after treatment of a primary tumor. Data were collected regarding demographics, tumor features, treatment, and outcome.


RESULTS
Patients (n = 529) were submitted to a total of 776 thoracotomies. Median follow-up time across all patients was 21.6 months (range: 0-192 months). The postoperative complication rate was 9.3%, and the 30-day mortality rate was 0.2%. The ninety-month overall survival rate for all patients was 30.4%. Multivariate analysis identified the number of pulmonary nodules detected on preoperative CT-scan, the number of malignant nodules resected, and complete resection as the independent prognostic factors for overall survival.


CONCLUSIONS
These results confirm that lung metastasectomy is a safe and potentially curative procedure for patients with treated primary tumors. A select group of patients can achieve long-term survival after resection.
Younes
Riad N
RN
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital do Cancer AC Camargo, São Paulo, Brazil. rnyounes@yahoo.com
Gross
Jefferson L
JL
Taira
Andrea M
AM
Martins
Andrea Aparecida C
AA
Neves
Giuliana Sigolo
GS
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013908:Thoracotomy; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult