[Intrapulmonary tumor cell dissemination and intraoperative pleural lavage as prognostic factors in bronchial carcinoma].

319 patients with the first manifestation of lung cancer underwent intraoperative pleural lavage (lavage I = after opening the chest; lavage II = after resection of lung cancer). Tumor cells were found in lavage I in 122 patients (38.2%), in 94 of them also in lavage II. In only 9 cases we found tumor cells in lavage II cytologically. The cumulative five-year survival rate of non-small cell lung cancer in stage I (n = 154) was 22.1% if lavage was positive (lavage I and II, n = 44), and 64.3% if lavage was negative (n = 110) (p < 0.05). Additionally, we performed tissue cultures of tumor-free parenchyma in 23 cases of lung cancer. In 16 cases (69.6%) we detected tumor cells by histology and immunhistology. Intraoperative pleural lavage should be done when assessing the final tumor stage. A positive result should be added to the pTNM-classification of lung cancer.