Non-small cell lung cancer : Evaluation of a two-year Experience of surgical treatment for LUG cancer in the national

Abstract EN

Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world contributing 13 % of total cancer cases in both sexes, ranking first in males and third in females.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of surgical treatment for this type of tumor in the surgical department of the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University between Jan.

1995 and Dec.

1998.

This study included fifty patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The mean age for the patients was 54 years and the male to female ratio was 3 : 1.

All male patients were cigarette smokers with a mean of 23 cig / day and the mean duration of symptoms was four months.

The right lung was more commonly affected by the disease (60 %).

The average tumor size was 6 cm in its greatest dimension.

Forty-six percent of the cases had presented in stage 1B.

Most of the cases were of the adenocarcinoma type (38 %), while the squamous cell type was detected in 16 cases (32 %).

Clinically, stage I cases represented only 46% of the cases.

Twenty-four cases were subjected to total pneumonectomy (48 %), right penu-monectomy (16 cases) and left pneumonectomy (8 cases).

Lobectomy was carried out in 26 cases (52 %), one lobe resection in 24 cases while bilobectomy was performed in 2 cases.

Associated chest wall resection was done in 6 cases (12 %) and partial pericardiectomy was done in other 6 cases (12 %).

The vagus nerve was sacrificed in one case and vertebral transverse processes were resected in 2 cases.

Cardio-vascular and respiratory post-operative complications were detected in 17 cases (34 %), while surgery related complications were found in 6 cases (12 %).

Twenty-one patients underwent surgery alone, while 13 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, 8 patients received adjuvant radiotherapy and 4 patients received combined chemo-and radiotherapy.

Fourteen patients developed me-tastases on follow up at a mean time of 8.5 months.

The overall actuarial 2-year survival data showed that 44 % of the patients were alive free of disease, while 4 % were alive with the disease and 34 % of the patients died due to cancer related causes.

Nine patients (18 %) were lost for follow-up.