Outcome and prognosis of secondary lung cancer surgery with interstitial lung disease

The initial surgery for lung cancer with interstitial lung disease (ILD) is often followed by passive treatment due to the surgery-induced deterioration in respiratory function, and only a few studies have summarized the findings associated with a second surgery for lung cancer patients with ILD.

Of the 3932 lung cancer patients who underwent surgery at our hospital from August 2008 to July 2019, 404 (10%) patients (1) underwent preoperative computed tomography for imaging of interstitial pneumonia and (2) underwent initial surgery. We analyzed 45 cases (11%) suspected of showing metachronous lung cancer during the postoperative course.

Thirty-four patients (76%) underwent a second surgery. The group that underwent a second surgery showed a significantly better prognosis than the group that did not (p = 0.0009). The surgical procedure was wide-wedge resection/segmentectomy/lobectomy and above in 15/7/12 cases, respectively. Postoperative complications were observed in nine cases (26%) (prolonged pulmonary fistula in five cases, ILD acute exacerbation in two cases, and wound dissection in two cases). Mortality within 30 days occurred in one case (ILD acute exacerbation at postoperative day 15). Twelve patients (35%) experienced recurrence. In the wide-wedge resection group, 2/15 (13%) patients showed stump recurrence. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates after surgery for secondary lung cancer were 80.4, 72.5, 68.2, and 39.4%, respectively.

Surgery can be considered an effective treatment method for secondary lung cancer with ILD if the cases are carefully selected.