Surgery for small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Ninety-one patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who underwent lung resection were retrospectively reviewed and the surgical indications and necessity of chemotherapy for early stage SCLC were discussed. The actuarial 3-and 5-year survival rates were 40.8% and 34.0 % for all cases, 53.5% and 45.6% for c-stage I, 19.2% and 19.2% for c-stage II, 12.5% and 0% for c-stage IIIA, 55.8% and 47.0% for p-stage I, 50.0% and 50.0% for p-stage II, and 4.5 % and 0% for p-stage IIIA, respectively. In the p-stage I-II patients who underwent complete resection, the 3-and 5-year survival rates were significantly better for patients treated by surgery and chemotherapy (61.4% and 57.0%) than those treated by surgery alone (14.8% and 14.8%). The 3-and 5-year survival rates of the p-stage I-II patients medicated by more than four courses of chemotherapy were both 87.5%. These results suggest that surgery may be indicated for c-stage I and p-stage I-II SCLC patients and that more than four courses of adjuvant chemotherapy is indispensable even in these early stages of SCLC.