The Patterns of Recurrence after Surgery for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Recent progress in the surgical therapy for lung cancer is one of the best examples of the successful evolution of clinical medicine. We reviewed our experience to evaluate the surgical outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed clinical records of 236 consecutive patients with proven primary non-small cell lung cancer who underwent complete removal of the primary tumor together with hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes from 1995 to 2005. The clinical characteristics, surgical methods, and recurrence patterns were analysed. RESULTS: The patients of stage III and IV were 71 cases (35.9%) and 2 cases (1.0%) respectively, and neoadjuvant therapy was done in 62 patients. Lobectomy was the most common procedure (69.7%) performed and pneumonectomy was the least (5.6%). In 81 patients (40.9%) the recurrence was noted and the regional recurrence (27 cases, 13.6%) was less than systemic recurrence (54 cases, 27.3%). The main sites of regional recurrence were hilum (11 cases, 40.7%) and ipsilateral mediastinum (9 cases, 33.3%). CONCLUSION: These data indicated that our surgical methods were useful and effective