[Re-surgical treatment for postoperative local recurrence of lung cancer]

To evaluate the feasibility of re-surgical treatment for postoperative recurrence of lung cancer and its indications.

The clinical data of 20 patients treated again surgically after recurrence of lung cancer were analyzed retrospectively.

The resectability, radical resectability, morbidity, and mortality were 75.0% (15/20), 80.0% (12/15), 20.0% and 0.0% respectively. The mean operative blood loss was 945 ml. The percentages of patients with pleural adhesion and intrapericardial dissection were 100.0% and 53.3% separately. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 94.1%, 41.7% and 40.0%. The mean survival time of the patients receiving exploration or palliative resection was 15.0 months, shorter than the 56.9 months of the patients having radical resection. The mean survival time of the patients with N(0) was (105.3 +/- 82.0) months, much longer than (11.4 +/- 6.0) months of the patients with N(1) or N(2).

Because of extensive adhesion, operations for postoperative recurrence of lung cancer are difficult, but if recurrence is found in time and operative indication is appropriate, re-surgical treatment can prolong the patients' survival time.