[The role of surgical treatment of primary non-small cell lung cancer with synchronous brain metastases].

UNLABELLED

Although several studies confirm the superiority of surgical resection of the primary lung cancer and metachronous brain metastases to other treatment modalities, the results of resection of the primary non-small cell lung cancer and synchronous brain metastases are still controversial.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In the clinic of Thoraco-abdominal surgery of the University Hospital "St.George" for the period 01.01.1997-01.09.2004 radically operated are 440 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, 6 of them had solitary brain metastases, succefully resected in clinic of neurosurgery.

RESULTS

We found 5-year survival in only 1 of the patients, the mean survival for the rest of them was 16 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the overall survival for the patients with non-small cell lung cancer and brain metastases is poor, the surgical resection may be beneficial in a select group of patients without lymph node metastases.