Survival of operated bronchus carcinoma patients: a prospective study

Maximum diameter, tumour volume, and inflammatory response of host tissue in 282 surgical specimens with primary carcinoma of the bronchus were measured. Cell type, pT- and pN-stage, maximum diameter and volume of the primaries, and inflammatory response of host tissue were analyzed in respect to survival of the patients. Date of death was evaluated by quarterly communications with the house physicians. Survival rates were computed by use of Kaplan-Meier estimation. Mean survival of all patients was calculated at 480 days. Lymph node involvement and tumour volume were found to have a major influence on survival. In accordance with the weak contribution of maximum diameter of the tumour to survival, no major differences in survival between pT1- and pT2-stage were found. If severe inflammatory response at the tumour boundary was noted, patients showed slightly increased survival in all tumour stages. Cell type and tumour grading were found to be of minor influence in respect to survival.