[Pancoast tumors ; modified surgical approaches and techniques]

The surgical treatment of Pancoast tumors is associated with difficulties related to its anatomical locations. Different surgical approaches have been reported but every approaches have some advantages and disadvantages. We report 2 Pancoast tumors cases with unique surgical approaches and our techniques. Case 1 : A 38-year-old man complained of face edema. The chest computed tomography (CT) revealed an right anterior apical tumor with direct invasion of the 1st and 2nd rib. Preoperative chemotherapy with 2 courses of carboplatin [area under the blood concentration-time curve (AUC) 6, day 1] and paclitaxel (80 mg/m2, day1, 8, 15) and concurrent extracorporeal radiation (70 Gy) was used to treat the adenocarcinoma. The skin incision was performed according to Masaoka's anterior approach, and a proximal median sternotomy communicated with an incision in the 4th intercostal space. The clavicula was freed by the L-shaped incision on the manubrium and the 1st cartilage section according to Grunenwald method to retract the section. Case 2 : A 65-year-old man complained back pain. The chest CT revealed an right superior sulcus tumor, displaced bronchus (B1+B3 tracheal bronchus, B2) and pulmonary arteries anomalies. Combined Shaw-Paulson incision and 4 intercostal lateral thoracotomy was performed to right upper lobectomy and systematic lymph nodes dissection.