Adjuvant Chemotherapy after Surgical Resection for Small-Cell Carcinoma of Lung / 결핵및호흡기질환

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Small-cell carcinoma of lung has a tendency of rapid growth and early wide metastasis. In spite of high response rate of combination chemotherapy alone or with radiotherapy, overall long-term survival rate is very disappointed. According to autopsy findings, the common cause of failure is local recurrence in primary cancer site. So, surgical resection with combined chemotherapy has been recently attempted for very early stage of small-cell carcinoma of lung. METHODS: 10 patients (TNM I & II 5 cases) undergoing surgical resection for small-cell carcinoma of lung with adjuvant chemotherapy in an attempt to prolong survival. Of these, 9 patients received chemotherapy, and retrospective study was undertaken for survival (Kaplan-Meier analysis). RESULTS: Median survival time was 26 months, 2-, 5-year survival rate was 68.6%, 46.7%. If 1 patient without chemotherapy was excluded, 2-, 5-year survival rate was 76.2%, 50.8%. No survival difference was seen between patients with TNM I, II stages. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical resection results in prolonged survival for patients with TNM stage I, II small-cell carcinoma of lung.