HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Ugo Pastorino Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pastorino, U. Articles by Ravasi, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pastorino, U. Articles by Ravasi, G.

Ann Thorac Surg 1982;33:320-323
© 1982 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Articles

Empyema Following Lung Cancer Resection: Risk Factors and Prognostic Value on Survival

From the Division of Clinical Oncology D, National Cancer Institute of Milan, Milan, Italy.

Accepted for publication June 22, 1981.

^* Address reprint requests to Dr. Pastorino, OCD Division of National Cancer Institute, 20133 Milan, via Venezian 1, Italy.

A retrospective evaluation of 199 consecutive patients undergoing resection for lung cancer revealed a significantly shorter long-term survival for those in whom empyema developed postoperatively. The overall five-year survival for the empyema group was 24% compared with 35% in the control group (patients without empyema), and the median survival was 15 months for the empyema group versus 35 months for the control group. These differences in survival were not found among patients with Stage I lung cancer.

Pneumonectomy proved to be the main risk factor for the occurrence of empyema after operation, but a minor risk factor was the anatomical extent of disease. This correlation may be explained by major surgical contamination or manipulation as well as by lower immunological host reaction, all related to the extent of the tumor. A lower immunological defense could also explain the worse outcome for patients with Stage II or III lung cancer in whom empyema developed postoperatively.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Del Campo Postpneumonectomy Empyema in Bronchogenic Carcinoma Ann. Thorac. Surg., September 1, 1984; 38(3): 298 - 299. [PDF]

				J. P. Witz and N. Roeslin Postpneumonectomy Empyema Does Not Improve Survival in Bronchogenic Carcinoma Ann. Thorac. Surg., November 1, 1983; 36(5): 529 - 531. [Abstract] [PDF]