The role of sleeve resections in advanced nodal disease.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the short-term and long-term results of sleeve resections depending on limited nodal disease (N0/N1, LND) and advanced nodal disease (N2/N3, AND) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at a single institution.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed our prospective database of all NSCLC patients undergoing sleeve resections between January 1999 and December 2008. Patients' characteristics, morbidity, mortality, locoregional recurrence, distant recurrence, and survival were analyzed corresponding to LND and AND.

RESULTS

The indication was NSCLC for 170 sleeve resections (LND: n=120; AND: n=50) out of 213 consecutive sleeve resections. Both groups were statistically equal with regard to age (LND 61.8±12.4 vs AND 60.8±9.6 years), gender, co-morbidities, type of sleeve resection (bronchial vs bronchovascular), number of dissected lymph nodes (LND 40.0±12.4 vs AND 36.7±14.0), histology and completeness of resection (LND 96.7% vs AND 98.0%), respectively. More patients had induction chemotherapy in AND group (p=0.049). The short-term results were equal on the subject of morbidity rate (LND: 34.2%, AND: 44.0%), secondary pneumonectomy (LND: 1.7%, AND: 4.0%), and mortality rate (LND: 5.0%, AND: 6.0%), respectively. LND was associated with a better 5-year-survival rate (LND: 67%; AND: 42%) and mean survival (LND: 80.8 months; AND: 37.7 months; p=0.014). In the long-term follow-up, more distant metastases were detected in AND group (26.0% vs 14.2%, p=0.079) in contrast to identical locoregional recurrence (LND: 1.7%; AND: 0%). In the event of metastazing, the mean time to the development of distant metastases was similar (LND: 19.1 months; AND: 12.4 months; p=0.2).

CONCLUSIONS

Lymph node involvement is a negative prognostic factor concerning long-term survival. Sleeve resections in AND do not result in higher morbidity and mortality. But even in AND, sleeve resections are associated with promising long-term survival and extraordinary local control of the disease as a result of high complete resection rates. High rate of distant failure warrants further investigation for the systemic control of the disease.