[Value of limited resections in the surgical treatment of lung cancers]

From 1969 to 1990, 88 limited lung resections were performed for the treatment of malignant lung tumours. These operations consisted of 73 typical resections (29 segmentectomies, 15 bisegmentectomies, 23 middle lobectomies, 6 lingulectomies) and 15 atypical resections. In 15 cases, they were completed by lymph node dissection. These operations were performed in patients with a mean age of 55.8 years (range: 24 to 76). The ventilatory functional status contraindicated wider resection in only 7 cases. The immediate postoperative mortality (7 cases, i.e. 8%) and the postoperative complications observed in 29.6% of cases were higher than those observed after wide resections, but do not constitute a specific argument in the indication for partial resection. Histological examination of the operative specimens revealed 80 primary lung cancers (42 squamous carcinomas, 28 adenocarcinomas, 8 anaplastic and unclassifiable tumours, 1 bronchiolo-alveolar tumour and 1 malignant carcinoid tumour). The primary nature of the tumour could not be definitely confirmed in the other 8 patients (history of head and neck neoplasm in 7 cases and bladder carcinoma in 1 case). The survival according to TNM stage, histological nature of the tumour, positivity of the resection margins and intraoperative tumour effraction was identical to that associated with lobectomies.