Comparison of Long-Term Survival Between Robotic and Video-Assisted Lobectomy for Stage Ⅰ NSCLC With Radiologic Solid...

To compare the long-term survival between robotic and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy for stage Ⅰ non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with radiologic solid tumors.

Clinical stage Ⅰ NSCLC patients with radiologic solid tumors who underwent robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) or VATS lobectomy between 2015 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. A propensity score matching analysis was performed to balance the baseline characteristics. The primary end points were overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).

A total of 518 patients (225 RATS and 293 VATS) were included. After propensity score matching, there were 170 cases in each group. Patients undergoing RATS had shorter operative time than VATS (98.12 min vs. 112.26 min; P < 0.001). The RATS approach resulted in a higher number of resected lymph nodes (LNs) (11.75 vs. 9.77; P < 0.001). The postoperative complication rates were comparable (7.6% vs. 10.0%, P = .566). The rates of 5-year OS and RFS for the RATS and VATS were 92% versus 89% (P = .62) and 82% vs. 86% (P = .70), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the number of resected LNs was significantly associated with overall survival (OR = 1.94 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-3.51], P = .029).

The long-term survival outcomes of RATS and VATS are similar for c-stage Ⅰ NSCLC with radiologic solid tumors. The use of robotics is associated with more lymph node dissection and shorter operative time. We suggested that the number of examined lymph nodes rather than surgical approaches was associated with overall survival.