Subcarinal node is the significant node that affects survival in resected small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE

Our aim was to clarify the significance of surgery and the prognostic factors in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

METHOD

A retrospective review of 50 patients with limited SCLC who underwent a pulmonary resection and mediastinal nodal dissection during the 10-year period from 1988 to 1997 was undertaken. The TNM classification was applied to all cases of SCLC.

RESULTS

A Cox regression multivariate analysis indicated lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0117) and adjuvant therapy (P = 0.0429) to be independent prognostic factors in SCLC patients. Concerning the patients with lymph node metastasis, the prognosis was related only to the involvement of the subcarinal node (station 7). Although no patient with lymph node involvement in station 7 could be a 2-year survivor, in the case of patients with lymph node involvement except in station 7, 47.1% of them were 2-year survivors and 25.1% were 4-year survivors. Among the patients with lymph node metastasis, a univariate analysis indicated the prognosis to be significantly poorer in patients with station 7 involvement than in those without station 7 involvement (P = 0.0224).

CONCLUSION

Involvement in the subcarinal node might be a prognostic factor for SCLC.