[Surgical treatment of lung cancer in Denmark in 1982-1986. Special attention to the surgical procedure and mortality].

UNLABELLED

The operative activity and hospital mortality for lung cancer in Denmark, were investigated for the five year period from 1982 to 1986. Of the 2,898 operations performed 38.3% were pneumonectomies, 34.2% lobectomies, 6.0% lesser resections (segmental or wedge) and 21.5% were exploratory thoracotomies. The total hospital mortality was 7.2% (208 patients). Following pneumonectomy, the hospital mortality was 11.2%, after lobectomy 3.5% (p less than 0.001). Lesser resections carried a 2.3% mortality, not statistically different from lobectomy. Exploratory thoracotomy was connected with a mortality of 7.2%. In patients under the age of 60 years the mortality was 4.7% and in patients at the age of 60 to 69 years 7.9% (p less than 0.01). Patients over 70 years carried a mortality of 9.7%, not statistically different from patients from 60 to 69 years. The hospital mortality was significantly higher in the nonspecialized departments.

IN CONCLUSION

Lung cancer is still increasing. Compared to the past the resectability rate is decreasing and hospital mortality is almost unchanged. To improve the results of efforts to increase the proportion of curable patients have to go hand in hand with efforts to reduce the numbers of exploratory thoracotomies and pneumonectomies as well as the number of operative and postoperative complications. Further centralization must be considered, in order to obtain better selectionscriteries and optimal treatment modalities per- and postoperatively.