Clinical outcome of resected solid-type small-sized c-stage IA non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
The chances of pulmonary resection for small-sized lung cancer have increased because of the development of thin-slice computed tomography (CT). Though sublobar resection could be indicated for ground glass opacity (GGO)-dominant adenocarcinoma with low-grade behaviour, the malignant potential of solid-type, small-sized lung cancer has not been sufficiently assessed. We aimed to address the clinical outcomes of resected solid-type c-stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) smaller than 2 cm.


METHODS
A retrospective observational study involving 118 patients who had undergone a complete resection for lung cancer smaller than 2 cm with solid component more than 50% on CT was conducted, and their postoperative survival and recurrence pattern were analysed.


RESULTS
Thirty-five patients with solid component-dominant lesion (SCDL) and 83 patients with pure solid lesion (PSL) without GGO were enrolled. Lymph node involvement was found in 15 patients with PSL (18%). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 100% in SDCL patients and 83% in PSL patients. Multivariate analysis of PSL patients showed that lymph node metastasis and pleural invasion were independent negative prognostic predictors. The 5-year DFS was 88%, 80% and 46% in p-N0, p-N1 and p-N2 patients, respectively. The 5-year DFS was 33% for patients with pleural invasion, which was significantly worse than that for patients without pleural involvement. Postoperative recurrence was mainly observed as intrathoracic lesions within 3 years.


CONCLUSIONS
A proportion of solid-type NSCLC has malignant potential, even for tumours smaller than 2 cm. Periodic intrathoracic evaluation is required following complete resection.
Inoue
Masayoshi
M
Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2-L5, Yamadaoka, Suita-city, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. mi@thoracic.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Minami
Masato
M
Sawabata
Noriyoshi
N
Utsumi
Tomoki
T
Kadota
Yoshihisa
Y
Shigemura
Norihisa
N
Okumura
Meinoshin
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome