Tuberc Respir Dis.  2011 Apr;70(4):330-337.

Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Recurrence after Curative-intent Surgical Therapy of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

• Song SH
• Sohn JW
• Kwak HJ
• Kim SI
• Lee SH
• Kim SH
• Kim TH
• Yoon HJ
• Shin DH
• Park SS

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been changing. Recently, Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) has usually been used for diagnosis, follow-up to treatment and surveillance of NSCLC. We studied the pattern of recurrence and prognosis in patients who underwent complete resection for NSCLC according to histologic subtype.
METHODS
All patients who underwent complete resection for pathological stage I or II NSCLC between January 2005 and June 2009 were identified and clinical records were reviewed retrospectively, especially the histologic subtype.
RESULTS
Recurrences were identified in 50 of 112 patients who had complete resection of an NSCLC. Sites of recurrence were locoregional in 15 (30%), locoregional and distant in 20 (40%), and distant in 15 (30%). Also, sites of recurrence were intra-thoracic in 29 (58%), extrathoracic and intra-thoracic recurrence in 15 (30%), and extrathoracic in 6 (12%). In locoregional recurrence, there was 37% recurrence for non-squamous cell carcinoma (non-SQC) and 25% for squamous cell carcinoma (SQC). In distant recurrence, there was 39% recurrence for non-SQC and 18% for SQC. Locoregional recurrence in the bronchial stump was more common in SQC than non-SQC (14% vs. 45%, p=0.025). Prognosis of recurrence was not influenced by histologic subtype and the recurrence-free survival curve showed that the non-SQC group did not differ from the SQC group according to stage.
CONCLUSION
The prognosis for recurrence does not seem to be influenced by histologic types, but locoregional recurrence in the bronchial stump seems to be more common in SQC than non-SQC in completely resected stage I and II NSCLC.

Keyword

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Recurrence; Prognosis; Histology

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Electrons
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Prognosis
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies

Figure

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  Figure 1 Recurrence-free survival curve shows that risk of recurrence does not differ between non-squamous and squamous cell carcinoma in stage I. SQC: squamous cell carcinoma.

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  Figure 2 Recurrence-free survival curve shows that risk of recurrence does not differ between non-squamous and squamous cell carcinoma in stage II. SQC: squamous cell carcinoma.

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