ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Chirurgica 1999 April;54(4):219-24

Copyright © 1999 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Surgical management of bronchogenic nonsmall cell carcinoma at stage IIIA. An analysis of 150 cases treated

Briccoli A., Gelmini R., Spallanzani A., Guernelli N.

Background and aim. The authors report the findings of a retrospective study made of 150 cases of bronchogenic non-small cell carcinoma at stage IIIA.
Methods. Of the 150 patients treated 130 were male and 20 female. The mean age of the population examined was 55, with a minimum of 28 and maximum of 76. The techniques of exeresis used were pneumonectomy in 70 cases (33.3%) (simple in 50 cases-33.3% and intrapericardial ligation of pulmonary vessels in 20-13.3%), lobectomy in 61 cases (40.6%), lobectomy with associated atypical resection in 9 cases (6%), atypical resection in 6 patients (4%) and bilobectomy in 4 (2.6%).
Results. The 5-year survival rate was 16.9%. It was also found that the 5-year survival rate was 20.7% higher for epidermoid carcinoma compared to other histiotypes. The technique used also influenced survival and subjects undergoing pneumonectomy presented a 5-year survival of 29.7% compared to 26.8% for lobectomies associated with atypical resection.
Conclusion. Surgery of bronchogenic carcinoma at stage IIIA has not obtained promising results in terms of survival. However, no other alternative treatment permits an average 5-year survival rate of 15% to be achieved.