Five-year survival analysis and prognostic factors in patients operated on for non-small cell lung cancer with N2 disease.

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study is to analyse 5-year survival and prognostic factors in patients operated due to lung cancer with postoperatively confirmed metastases to N2 group nodes.

METHODS

In the years 2007-2015, 1,148 patients with lung cancer were treated surgically. A postoperative histopathological study confirmed N2 feature in 150 patients. One hundred and ten patients, in whom a 5-year survival analysis was possible to perform, were included in such analysis. The patients underwent the following procedures: pneumonectomy, 31 patients; lobectomy, 61; bilobectomy, 10; and wedge resection, 8. All patients were subjected to supplementary treatment after the surgery.

RESULTS

Five-year survival was achieved in 23 patients (21%). The patients' survival did not depend on the type of surgery, type of tumour, its location or presence of metastases in N1 nodes (P=0.82, P=0.51, P=0.36 and P=0.23, respectively). A statistically significant correlation was observed (P=0.01) between the 5-year survival of a patient and the occurrence of metastases only in one group of lymph nodes of the N2 feature (22 patients, 20%). Involvement of three or more mediastinal nodal groups resulted in survival shorter than 5-year.

CONCLUSIONS

(I) In patients with the N2 feature, the type of performed surgery, type of tumour and the occurrence of metastases in the lymph nodes of the lung hilum do not affect 5-year survival; (II) involvement of only one nodal group allows to achieve 5-year survival in 20% of patients; (III) involvement of three and more nodal groups with the N2 feature results in decreased 5-year survival.