Clinical impact of concomitant surgical diagnosis and subsequent lobectomy for preoperatively undiagnosed lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES

We conducted a retrospective study of the clinical impact of a concomitant diagnostic and therapeutic procedure for patients with histologically unproven pulmonary nodules.

METHODS

Between January 2001 and December 2003, we performed 150 consecutive surgical biopsy procedures for histologically indeterminate pulmonary nodules. We compared the clinical impact of the concomitant diagnostic wedge resection followed by lobectomy (U group, n=50) with that of a scheduled standard lobectomy in those with preoperatively proven clinical stage I lung cancer during the same period (C group, n=60).

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in dichotomous variables, whereas we found significant differences in tumor size, operative time and blood loss between the 2 groups. Complication developed in 9 in the U group and 3 in the C group (p=0.030). Hospital mortality was 2% in the U group and 0% in the C group (p=0.11).

CONCLUSION

Morbidity and mortality following a concomitant diagnostic and therapeutic procedure in patients with preoperatively undiagnosed lung cancer was acceptable, however, staged operations should be indicated for patients with considerable co-morbidity.