Background: The aims of the present study were: 1) to study the type and extent of resection in patients with pathological stage I lung cancer; 2) to evaluate the results of surgical treatment; 3) to assess prognostic factors.
Setting: a tertiary referral general hospital.
Methods: Retrospective review of clinical records of 296 patients operated on for pathologic stage I lung cancer between 1989 and 1998. Mean follow-up period was 33.1+/-28.1 months. Survivals were calculated by the actuarial method and compared by the long-rank test. Age, sex, tumor size, type and extent of resection and histologic type were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analisis.
Results: Two hundred and forty-five lobectomies, 39 pneumonectomies, 5 segmental resections and 7 wedge resections were performed. Overall actuarial 5- and 10-year survivals were 62 and 49%, respectively. Stage Ia patients showed significantly better 5- and 10-year survivals (76 and 54%, respectively) as compared to Stage Ib patients (57 and 46%, p=0.007). Univariate analysis showed no significant difference in survival according to the age, the sex or the extent of resection. The histological type influenced the outcome (p=0.05): 5-year survival rate were 57, 67, 75% in squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and bronchoalveolar carcinoma, respectively. At multivariate analysis stage and histology were identified as independent prognostic factors.
Conclusions: Satisfactory results in terms of suvival can be achieved following surgery for stage I lung cancer. The T status and the histologic type significantly influence survival.