Prognosis of surgically treated lung cancer.

Background and aims: This retrospective study clarifies the prognosis of surgically treated lung cancer in a teaching university hospital.

Material and methods: During a four year period 141 patients were operated for lung cancer in a teaching university hospital. After five years follow up the case records were analysed. The operative and microscopical findings were classified using the AJC pTNM staging system and WHO's histologic classification of lung tumours. There were 120 (85 %) male and 21 (15 %) female. The median age for males was 62 years and females 64 years; range was 29 to 76 years for both sexes.

Results and conclusions: The perioperative mortality of all patients was 5,0 %, of 84 patients operated with lobectomy 2.4 %, of 32 patients operated with pneumectomy 15,6 %, and of 25 patients operated with explorative thoracotomy 0 %, respectively. The five year survival of all patients was 33 % including perioperative mortality. The survival was significantly better for 83 patients with stage I disease (49 %) than 17 stage II (6 %), 24 stage IIIa (20.8 %), and 17 stage IIIb or IV disease (0 %). The survival was significantly better after lobectomy (44.1 %) than after pneumectomy (25.0 %) or explorative thoracotomy (8.0 %). Our study shows the good effect of surgery in stage I, and confirms it's usefulness in stage IIIa lung cancer. The histologic types of tumours did not affect survival.