Results of a limited resection for compromised or poor-risk patients with clinical stage I non-small cell carcinoma of the lung.

BACKGROUND

Patients with stage I non-small cell carcinoma of the lung may be unable to undergo a standard curative resection, such as lobectomy, due to various medical reasons. Whether or not a limited resection is superior to radiotherapy in these patients, both in terms of long-term prognosis and treatment morbidity, is unknown.

STUDY DESIGN

We retrospectively reviewed our results in treating compromised or poor-risk patients with clinical stage I non-small cell carcinoma of the lung who had received either a limited resection or radiotherapy. Seventeen patients underwent a limited resection (nine wedge resections and eight segmentectomies), while 18 patients received radiation therapy.

RESULTS

The five-year survival rates for patients in the limited resection group and the radiation treatment group were 55.0 and 14.4 percent, respectively. A log-rank analysis showed a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.004). Furthermore, the survival rate of the patients having a limited operation was significantly better than that of patients achieving either complete response or partial response from radiotherapy (18.8 percent at five years, p = 0.008). Recurrence at the surgical margin occurred in four patients in whom the tumor was greater than 2 cm in longest diameter. The incidence of severe treatment-related complications was not different between the limited operation group and the radiotherapy group (11.8 compared to 11.1 percent).

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that a limited resection for patients with poor-risk clinical stage I carcinoma of the lung has an advantage over radiotherapy, especially for tumors measuring less than 2 cm in longest diameter.