Resection of secondary pulmonary malignancies in head and neck cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to evaluate a single institute's experience with resection of metachronous pulmonary malignancy in patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.


METHODS
Sixty-three consecutive patients treated curatively for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma underwent surgical resection of malignant lung lesions. Survival was estimated and potential prognostic factors investigated.


RESULTS
The median overall survival for the total group was 22.2 months. Fifty-one patients (81 per cent) had one lung lesion, while the remainder had multiple lesions (range, two to seven). In the 63 patients, 35 lobectomies, 4 pneumonectomies and 24 wedge resections were performed. For patients with pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma (n = 52), the three-year survival rate was 35 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval, 22-48); for patients with resected adenocarcinoma (n = 10), it was 50 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval, 18-75). The overall five-year survival rate was 30 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval, 19-42).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients treated curatively for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, resection of secondary pulmonary cancer is associated with favourable long term overall survival, especially for patients with adenocarcinoma lesions.
Department of Head Neck Oncology and Surgery, The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
T W
TW
Geurts
H M
HM
Klomp
S A
SA
Burgers
H
H
van Tinteren
B Y
BY
Roukema
A J M
AJ
Balm
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D000077192:Adenocarcinoma of Lung; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome