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

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) 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): Noriyoshi Sawabata Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sawabata, N. Articles by Mori, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sawabata, N. Articles by Mori, T. Related Collections Lung - cancer

Ann Thorac Surg 2002;73:412-415
© 2002 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Original article: general thoracic

Malignant minor pleural effusion detected on thoracotomy for patients with non–small cell lung cancer: is tumor resection beneficial for prognosis?

^a Division of Surgery, Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, Japan
^b Division of Surgery, Kinki Central National Hospital for Chest Diseases, Sakai, Japan
^c Division of Surgery, South Fukuoka National Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
^d Division of Surgery, Sapporo-Minami National Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
^e Division of Surgery, Okinawa National Hospital, Ginowan, Japan
^f Division of Medicine, Seiranso National Hospital, Naka County, Japan

Accepted for publication October 17, 2001.

* Address reprint requests to Dr Sawabata, Division of Surgery, Toneyama National Hospital, 5-1-1 Toneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan 560-8552
e-mail: nori{at}toneyama.hosp.go.jp

Background. This study attempts to clarify the benefit of surgery for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with malignant minor pleural effusion that is detected at thoracotomy.

Methods. Records of surgical patients with NSCLC were reviewed, with a definition of minor pleural effusion as less than 300 mL. The patients were divided into three groups as follows: (1) group C consisted of patients who underwent grossly complete resection; group I, patients with incomplete tumor resection; and group E, patients who underwent exploratory thoracotomy only.

Results. There were 196 patients who had minor pleural effusion; of these, 96 (46%) underwent an examination to define the malignancy status of pleural effusion after surgery. In 43 patients (45%), the effusion was found to be malignant. The median survival time and 5-year survival rate, respectively, were 13 months and 9% for group C (n = 11); 34 months and 10% for group I (n = 14; p = 0.3); and 17 months and 0% for group E (n = 18; p = 0.8).

Conclusions. Tumor resection is not beneficial for the survival of patients with NSCLC who have a minor malignant pleural effusion.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Dikmen, E. Dikmen, M. Kara, E. Sahin, P. Dogan, and N. Ozdemir Diagnostic implications of telomerase activity in pleural effusions Eur. Respir. J., September 1, 2003; 22(3): 422 - 426. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Riquet, C. Foucault, and F. Souilamas Lung cancer with pleural dissemination: why not operation? Ann. Thorac. Surg., November 1, 2002; 74(5): 1750 - 1750. [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Sawabata Reply Ann. Thorac. Surg., November 1, 2002; 74(5): 1750 - 1750. [Full Text] [PDF]