Treatment patterns and clinical outcomes of resectable central non-small cell lung cancer patients undergoing sleeve lobectomy: a large-scale, single-center, real-world study.

Background: In the treatment of central-type non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), sleeve lobectomy (SL) has emerged as the surgical treatment of choice over pneumonectomy (PN). This retrospective study evaluates the clinical profiles and prognostic elements impacting survival and recurrence rates in patients who underwent SL.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 288 patients who underwent SL from January 2010 to December 2023. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival curves were subsequently drawn. Factors predicting SL outcomes were investigated through univariate and multivariable Cox regression analyses.

Results: Univariate and multivariable analyses consistently demonstrated significant variations in overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) among subgroups receiving neoadjuvant therapy (NT), which also stood out as independent prognostic factors. Patients undergoing NT showed enhanced OS [hazard ratio (HR) =0.4652, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3042-0.7116, P=0.004] and DFS (HR =0.5182, 95% CI: 0.3243-0.8279, P=0.01). Earlier pT stages were associated with better prognosis (P<0.05). Significant differences in both OS and DFS were noted across pN stages, with earlier stages indicating improved prognosis; this was a significant independent factor for DFS (P<0.001). Similar significant trends were observed across pathological Tumor-Node-Metastasis (pTNM) stages, with earlier stages linked to better outcomes. Additionally, body mass index (BMI) was identified as an independent prognostic factor for both OS and DFS. Clinical T stage independently influenced DFS. No significant prognostic disparities were observed in other clinical characteristics (P>0.05).

Conclusions: NT significantly improves the prognosis for NSCLC patients undergoing SL. Pathological staging is proven to be more indicative of prognosis than clinical staging. Understanding the staging of lymph nodes (LNs) is crucial for predicting the long-term recurrence risk in patients with NSCLC who undergo SL treatment. Mediastinal and hilar LN dissection is especially important in minimizing this risk and improving prognosis.