Comparison of pleuropneumonectomy and limited surgery for lung cancer with pleural dissemination.

The role of surgery in the management of lung cancer with pleural dissemination is controversial. We performed a retrospective analysis of our patients with lung cancer and pleural dissemination who were treated surgically. Between 1973 and 1993, 1,206 patients with lung cancer underwent pulmonary resection at Kanazawa University Hospital. Among them, 40 (3.3%) had pleural dissemination without pleural effusion. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for 38 patients (except 2 patients undergoing exploratory thoracotomy alone) were 51.5%, 19.4%, and 19.4%, respectively. The 1-year survival rate in the 10 patients who underwent pleuropneumonectomy was only 20%, and 9 of these patients died within 18 months postoperatively (1 patient has survived for 25 months). In contrast, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for the 14 patients who underwent resection of the primary tumor plus parietal pleurectomy were 85.1%, 35.5%, and 35.5%, respectively, a significantly better outcome (P < 0.01). Seven patients are still alive (the longest survival time is 65 months with the disease). The average survival time in the seven fatal cases was 18 months. In patients with lung cancer accompanied by pleural dissemination, it is quite possible that local excision plus pleurectomy will be justified.