[Clinical study of limited operation of lung cancer with reference to the operative procedure]

From 1977 to 1987, 27 cases of primary lung cancer were resected by the limited operation, 7 segmentectomy and 20 wedge resection. All cases of segmentectomy were considered to be potentially curative and 2 cases of them were X-ray negative early squamous cell carcinoma originated from the subsegmental bronchus. The mean tumor size of the other 5 peripheral cases performed segmentectomy was 37.6 mm in diameter. Two cases of segmentectomy died from cancer recurrence, but 2 cases are still alive more than 4.5 years after operation. All cases of wedge resection were originated peripherally, and 6 cases were thought to be potentially curative and the mean tumor size was 22.4 mm in diameter. Three cases of them died, 1 from the tumor metastasis and 2 from the other diseases than lung cancer, but the other cases undergone potentially curative wedge resection are alive without recurrence 1-3.6 years after operation. The limited operation should be indicated for the peripheral lung cancer without lymph node metastasis in the patients with marked cardiac and/or pulmonary impairment. The small nodule located in subpleural lung can be resected easily by the wedge resection, but the segmentectomy should be recommended for the tumor which is larger in size or located more deeply under the visceral pleura. Especially X-ray negative early squamous cell carcinoma of the bronchus can be curatively resected by the segmentectomy with lymph node dissection, if the tumor exists in the level of subsegmental bronchus or more peripherally. Palliative minimal resection for the advanced lung cancer seemed to be not effective of their long-surviving.