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 Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Peng Lin Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Yang, H.-x. Articles by Fu, J.-h. PubMed Articles by Yang, H.-x. Articles by Fu, J.-h. Related Collections Lung - cancer Related Article

---

Original Articles: General Thoracic

Survival and Risk Factors of Surgically Treated Mediastinal Invasion T4 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

^a Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
^b State Key Laboratory for Cancer Research in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
^c Shanghai Lung Tumor Clinical Medical Center, Chest Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China

Accepted for publication April 8, 2009.

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Jian-hua Fu, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, No. 651, Dongfeng East Rd, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510060, People's Republic of China (Email: j_hfu{at}yahoo.com.cn).

Background: Surgical treatment of T4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with mediastinal involvement is controversial. This study was conducted to propose subgroups of patients with T4 NSCLC with mediastinal involvement who are more likely to benefit from resection.

Methods: Consecutive patients with T4 NSCLC with mediastinal involvement who underwent thoracotomy (n = 146) were retrospectively analyzed. Actuarial survival was calculated. Factors associated with overall survival were identified.

Results: Four operative deaths occurred in pneumonectomy patients. The overall 5-year survival rate was 22.7%; median survival was 24.8 months. Factors favoring survival included complete resection (p < 0.001), N2-negative disease (p < 0.001), and pulmonary great vessel invasion (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis of 131 patients undergoing lung resection found three factors associated with increased survival: pulmonary great vessel involvement (relative risk [RR] of death, 0.365; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.208 to 0.639; p < 0.001), R0 resection (RR, 0.387; 95% CI, 0.209 to 0.714; p = 0.002), and postoperative chemotherapy (RR, 0.255; 95% CI, 0.134 to 0.487; p < 0.001). Male sex (RR, 2.962; 95% CI, 1.479 to 5.934; p = 0.002) and N2-positive disease (RR, 3.220; 95% CI, 1.640 to 6.323; p < 0.001) were associated with decreased survival.

Conclusions: N2-positive, T4 NSCLC with mediastinal involvement is not suitable for resection. T4 NSCLC patients with pulmonary great vessel involvement had better survival rates than other T4 subgroups. Pneumonectomy should be done with caution due to a high mortality risk and poor prognosis. Further studies are warranted to assess the role of sex on survival.

Related Article

Invited Commentary

Alan D. Sihoe
Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2009 88: 378-379. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. D. Sihoe Invited commentary. Ann. Thorac. Surg., August 1, 2009; 88(2): 378 - 379. [Full Text] [PDF]