Abstract
There were 2, 632 lung cancer patients who underwent pulmonary resection during the period from 1953 to 1995. In the patients, 578 (22%) underwent non-curative resection (relatively non-curative 221, absolutely non-curative 357). Of the 578 patients, we examined clinico-pathological features of 56 patients (9.7%) who survived for over 5 years after operation (Group A), and compared the patients with all the 578 patients who underwent non-curative resection (Group B).
In the 56 patients (Group A), diagnostic criteria of 18 patients who underwent absolutely non-curative resection were residual carcinoma on bronchial stump in 9 patients, malignant pleural effusion in 5, pleural dissemination in 2 and residual carcinoma on surgical margin in 2 patients. Diagnostic criteria of 38 patients who underwent relatively non-curative resection were lobectomy and R1 dissection in 9 patients, partial resection·segmentectomy·lobectomy and RO dissection in 21, R2b dissection and metastasis to the 2b level lymph nodes in 8 patients. Combined resected organs were pericardium, chest wall, left atrium, or parietal pleura, and there was no case whose tumor invaded large vessels, diaphragm and esophagus. There were significantly lower ratio of T3·T4 disease, and significantly lower ratio of N2 disease in Group A compared with in Group B. Most of the long-term survivals in Group A were at relatively earlier stage in Group B. Some of patients who underwent relatively non-curative resection were cases whose tumor were resected completely by partial resection·segmentectomy or R0 ·RI dissection.
