2007 Volume 21 Issue 6 Pages 784-787
According to the General Rule for Clinical and Pathological Record of Lung Cancer, interlobar pleural invasion (interlobar p3) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is categorized as T2 and parietal pleural invasion as T3. We examined whether the category is adequate concerning the prognosis and operative procedure selected for the treatment of the adjacent lobe invaded by cancer. Among 634 patients who underwent operation for primary NSCLC in our hospital between 1992 and 2001, this study was targeted for 20 patients with interlobar p3. The outcome of the 182 patients with T2 excluding interlobar p3, and 61 patients with T3 were compared. The 5-year survival rate for patients with interlobar p3 was 62.5%, T2 excluding interlobar p3 was 48.5%, and T3 was 28.7%. Whereas there was no significant differences in survival between patients with interlobar p3 and with T2 excluding interlobar p3, the survival rate for patients with interlobar p3 and with T2 excluding interlobar p3 was significantly higher than that with T3. There were no significant differences in survival rate and locoregional recurrence between the type of operative procedure selected for the treatment of the adjacent lobe invaded by cancer. It is adequate that interlobar p3 is categorized as T2 and the optical operative procedure is considered to be a partial resection of the adjacent lobe.
