METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical profiles of 37 patients treated at our institution between January 1990 and December 2007 for SCLC diagnosed using surgical specimens.
RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 41.2 months, and the 5-year survival rate was 57.5%. Lobectomy or wider resection was performed alone in 33 cases and with mediastinal dissection in 29 cases. Fifteen patients did not receive chemotherapy. SCLC was diagnosed preoperatively or intraoperatively in 75% and non-SCLC in 25%. Clinical stage 1 disease was diagnosed in 29 patients; however, pathological stage 1 was seen in only 20. Patients at pathological stage 1 disease showed better survival than those at stage 2, but a similar result was not obtained in the case of clinical stage of the disease. Tumor size and nodal stage were the only significant factors influencing survival in a multivariate analysis. The adequacy of preoperative clinical diagnosis of tumor extensiveness, nodal involvement, and clinical stage did not significantly influence survival.
CONCLUSION: Surgery for limited-stage SCLC was associated with a favorable survival rate and provided important pathological information that can help predict survival. Accuracy of preoperative diagnoses showed no apparent impact on survival for surgically treated SCLC patients.
Authors: Iwata T, Nishiyama N, Nagano K, Izumi N, Mizuguchi S, Tsukioka T, Morita R, Chung K, Hanada S, Inoue K
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