Long-term results following surgical removal of pulmonary metastases in children with malignomas.

Between 1972 and June 1983, 21 children (mean age 9 years, range 20 months to 16.5 years) were operated on for pulmonary metastatic disease. Primary malignant tumors were Wilms-tumor (7 patients), osteogenic sarcoma (7 patients), Ewing's sarcoma (4 patients), hepatoblastoma (2 patients), and rhabdomyosarcoma (1 patient). The surgical intervention was part of a therapeutic pediatric oncological concept with curative purpose including chemotherapy and/or radiation in different combinations. Ten out of these 21 children survived disease-free 3 years and more after pulmonary metastasectomy. An aggressive surgical approach towards pulmonary metastatic disease in children thus appears to be justified.