1979 Volume 19 Issue 3 Pages 261-267
From April, 1966 through July, 1978, 15 intrapericardial dissection pneumonectomy (IPDP) and 18 combined lung and thoracic wall resection were performed among 91 cases with stage three lung cancer.
IPDP was indicated for such cases as standard pneumonectomy seemed to be impossible. No operative death or major complication was encountered. The survival rate of IPDP was similar to that of standard pneumonectomy and higher than that of exploratory thoracotomy in the stage three lung cancer until 18 months following the operation. However, long-term survival beyond three years has not been obtained so far.
Seven cases with combined lung and thoracic wall resection survived beyond 3 years and four beyond 5 years. In all of these cases no mediastinal lymph node metastasis (N2) or remote metastasis (M1) was seen, and a semi-curative operation could be performed.
Consequently, we have concluded that IPDP improves the short-term survival rate in advanced lung cancer, and combined lung and thoracic wall resection can bring about good long-term survival rate when a semicurative operation is to be performed.
