[Results of noncurative resection of primary lung cancer]

Out of 1099 cases of primary lung cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment in our department from 1952 to 1988, 374 cases were divided as noncurative by the post surgical examination. We divided the causes of noncurative resection as follows; I) absolute noncurative resection 1) tumor rest in a) lymph nodes (Ly rest), b) chest wall or diaphragma (Ch + Dia rest), c) bronchial stump (Bro rest) 2) intra-pulmonary metastasis (pm), 3) dissemination or pleuritis carcinomatosa (Dis + pl) II) relative noncurative 1) incomplete dissection of lymph nodes (Ro) 2) group 2b lymph node metastasis (2b Ly). Ly rest was the commonnest (103 cases 27.5%) in noncurative resection and Ch + Dia rest (94 cases, 25.1%) and p.m. (54 cases 14.4%) followed thereafter. Two thirds of the noncurative cases were classified into these 3 groups, and the rest of the causes were Dis + pl, Bro rest. RO and 2b Ly groups. p.m. and Ly rest groups were the most common causes of noncurative resection in adenocarcinoma cases whereas Ly rest and Ch + Dia rest groups were common in squamous cell carcinoma cases. Five year survival rate of the total noncurative cases was 12.1% although those of Dis + pl groups was 22.9% and those of p.m. group was 18.8%. Five year survival rate of the other groups were around 10%. A slightly better survival rate was observed when relative noncurative resection was performed in RO (19.7%) and 2b Ly (18.7%) groups.