[Surgical analysis for N 2 factor in non-small cell lung cancer]

In this study we analyzed 33 cases which underwent complete surgical resection to assess the role of surgery in the treatment of patients with N 2 NSCLC. The 3 year survival rate was 33.3% and the median survival time was 26.1 months. The survival curve for patients with T 3 factor was statistically worse than those with T 1 or T 2 factor. Further, the survival curve for patients with p 2 or p 3 factor was significantly lower than than that for those classified as p 0. Patients classified with p 2 or p 3 had a survival rate under 2 years. Only one patient diagnosed as T 3 achieved 3 year survival. This patient had a pm1 tumor with p 0 factor. We thereby recommend that surgery should only be performed for those N 2 NSCLC patients diagnosed as T 1 or T 2 with a classification of p1 or less.