Prediction of post-operative pulmonary function after lobectomy for primary lung cancer: A comparison among counting...

To compare the predictabilities of postoperative pulmonary function after lobectomy for primary lung cancer among counting method, effective lobar volume, and lobar collapsibility.

Forty-nine patients who underwent lobectomy for primary lung cancer were enrolled. All patients underwent inspiratory/expiratory CT and pulmonary function tests 2 weeks before surgery and postoperative pulmonary function tests 6-7 months after surgery. Pulmonary function losses (ΔFEV_1.0 and ΔVC) were calculated from the pulmonary function tests. Predictive postoperative pulmonary function losses (ppoΔFEV_1.0 and ppoΔVC) were calculated using counting method, effective volume, and lobar collapsibility. Correlations and agreements between ΔFEV_1.0 and ppoFEV_1.0 and those between ΔVC and ppoΔVC were tested among three methods using Spearman's correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots.

ΔFEV_1.0 and ppoΔFEV_1.0insp-exp were strongly correlated (r=0.72), whereas ΔFEV_1.0 and ppoΔFEV_1.0count and ΔFEV_1.0 and Pred. ΔFEV_1.0eff.vol. were moderately correlated (r=0.50, 0.56). ΔVC and ppoΔVC_eff.vol. (r=0.71) were strongly correlated, whereas ΔVC and ppoΔVC_count, and ΔVC and ppoΔVC _insp-exp were moderately correlated (r=0.55, 0.42).

Volumetry from inspiratory/expiratory CT data could be useful to predict postoperative pulmonary function after lobectomy for primary lung cancer.