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Published on: June 8, 2021
Long-Term Prognostic Impact of Severe Postoperative Complications After Lung Cancer Surgery
Satoru Okada1, Junichi Shimada1, Daishiro Kato1
1Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Background:
Postoperative complications are reportedly related to poor prognosis following lung cancer surgery; however, the difference in the prognostic impact according to immune-nutritional status is unknown.
Methods:
In 411 patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer, the relationship between severe postoperative complications (SPCs; Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher) and survival was retrospectively analyzed, with special reference to preoperative immune-nutritional status based on the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which was calculated using serum albumin level and total lymphocyte count.
Results:
A total of 52 (12.7%) patients had SPCs. The most common SPC was air leak (n = 39), atelectasis/sputum (n = 4), pneumonia (n = 2), pyothorax (n = 2), and bleeding (n = 2). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates in patients with and without SPCs were 63.8% and 80.1%, respectively (p = 0.007). A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model revealed SPCs had a negative prognostic impact on patients with preserved immune-nutritional status (PNI ≥ 48.3; first to third quartile), but not on those with poor immune-nutritional status (PNI < 48.3; fourth quartile), with statistically significant interaction. Further analysis focused on 309 patients with preserved immune-nutritional status. The OS and relapse-free survival (RFS) rates were significantly worse in patients with SPCs than in those without (p < 0.001). After controlling for potential confounders, SPCs remained significantly associated with worse OS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-4.83; p = 0.015) and RFS (adjusted HR 2.02, 95% CI 1.10-3.53; p = 0.025).
Conclusion:
Severe complications following lung cancer surgery could negatively impact prognosis, particularly in patients with preserved immune-nutritional status.
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