Prognosis of undetected intrapulmonary metastases in resected lung cancer

Abstract

Background. Between 1975 and 1989, 839 patients with lung cancer underwent pulmonary resection at Okayama University Medical School; for this study data of the 42 (5.0%) who had intrapulmonary metastasis were analyzed. Results. The 5‐year survival rate for the 42 patients was 25.7%, which was significantly better than that of patients with Stage IV disease and extrapulmonary metastasis, none of whom survived for 3 years. The 2‐year survival rate was found to be significantly better in patients with one‐lobe metastasis (n = 37; 41.5%) than in those with two‐lobe metastasis (n = 5; 20.0%). Adenocarcinoma was the most common tumor (66.8%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (28.6%), but the prognosis differed little between these two histologic types. Intrapulmonary metastasis did not unfavorably affect the prognosis when the primary tumor was 3 cm or less in greatest dimension and there were no lymph node metastases (T1NO). Conclusion. In patients with lung cancer and one‐lobe intrapulmonary metastasis, particularly in those with T1N0, a favorable prognosis can be expected after surgery.