Abstract
A cytological examination of pleural lavage with 50 ml saline sterilized was performed before resection in 53 cases of pulmonary lung cancer. The results of pleural lavage were positive in 13 of 53 patients (24.5%). In these 13 patients with positive findings, 9 patients had adenocarcinoma, and 6 patients were p-stage I, one in p-stage II, 4 in p-stage III A, and 2 in p-stage IV. Positive findings significantly correlated to p-factor as compared with negative findings. Nine of 13 patients with positive findings died within 2 years because of distant metastases (5 cases), intrathracic recurrence (2), or other desease (2). When the survival rate was studied according to Kaplan-Meier method, the prognosis in patients with positive findings was poor and no survival for longer than 3 years was recorded. If occult cancer cells present in the thoracic cavity at thoracotomy, even radical operation can allow postoperative recurrence, which might be a possible index for poor prognosis.
