Short-term local control after VATS segmentectomy and lobectomy for solid NSCLC of less than 2 cm

VATS pulmonary segmentectomy is increasingly proposed as a parenchyma-sparing resection for tumors smaller than 2 cm in diameter. The aim of this study was to compare short-term oncological results and local control in solid non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) <2 cm surgically treated by intentional VATS segmentectomy or lobectomy.

This study was a single center retrospective study of consecutive patients undergoing VATS lobectomy (VL) or segmentectomy (VS) for solid <2 cm NSCLC from January 2014 to October 2019. Results In total, 188 patients with a median age of 65 years (male/female: 99/89) underwent VS (n = 96) or VL (n = 92). Segmentectomies in the upper lobes were performed in 57% and as a single segment in 55% of cases. There was no statistically significant difference between VS and VL in terms of demographics, comorbidities, postoperative outcomes, dissected lymph node stations (2.89 ± 0.95 vs. 2.93 ± 1, P = 0.58), rate of pN1 (2.2% vs. 2.1%, P = 0.96) or pN2 upstaging (1.09% vs. 1.06%, P = 0.98). Adjuvant chemotherapy was given in 15% of patients in the VL and 11% in the VS group. During follow-up (median: 23 months), no patients presented with local nodal recurrence or on the stapler line (VS group). Three patients on VL and two in VS groups presented with recurrence on the remnant operated lung. New primary pulmonary tumors were diagnosed in 3.3% and 6.3% of patients in the VL and VS groups, respectively.

Despite the short follow-up, our preliminary data shows that local control is comparable for VATS lobectomy and VATS segmentectomy for patients with NSCLC <2 cm.