Five-year survival in treated stage I and II small cell carcinoma of the lung

Ten consecutive patients were treated more than five years ago, for small cell carcinoma of the lung in clinical and surgical stages I or II. Patients underwent initial surgical resection, followed by intensive combination chemotherapy for at least a year, or to limit of tolerance. Four patients were classified as stage II, T2 N1; 4 had T2 N0; and 2 had T1 N0. One patient (T2 N1) died of tumor recurrence in the central nervous system 14 months after resection. Two died of other causes before five years, one (T2 N0) of a pulmonary embolus on the seventh postoperative day, and the other (T2 N1) of carcinoma of the prostate at 50 months. Seven patients (70%) remained well and disease-free at five years postoperation. Two of the 7 died of unrelated causes, one (T2 N0) at 72 months and one (T2 N1) at 108 months. Five remain well at 61 to 112 months after resection. Although this series is small, no reports have shown comparable survival in a defined group of small cell carcinoma patients treated nonoperatively or by surgical resection alone.