[Long-term result in 61 patients with primary lung cancer treated by pneumonectomy]

Long-term result of 61 patients with primary lung cancer treated by pneumonectomy is reported. There were 55 males and 6 females. The ages ranged from 23 to 62 years with a mean of 47.7. Of these 61 patients, 49 died within ten years after pneumonectomy, 34 of them died of recurrence or metastasis and 8 of cardio-pulmonary diseases. The 5 and 10 year survival rates were 24.1% and 16%, significantly lower than those of 104 patients treated by lobectomy during the same period (42.6% and 33.3%), P less than 0.05). The 5 and 10 year survival rates of left pneumonectomy were statistically higher than those of right pneumonectomy (36.7% and 21.7% versus 8.3% and 9.5%, P less than 0.05). In this paper, the dissection of mediastinal lymph nodes and effect on postoperative cardiopulmonary functions are discussed. The postoperative radiotherapy, to the mediastinum, is advocated because thorough dissection of the mediastinal lymph nodes is very difficult. Sleeve-lobectomy instead of pneumonectomy is indicated for those patients with the tumor located in one lobe and the main bronchus involved.