The Presence of Both Tumor Spread through Air Spaces and Visceral Pleural Invasion May Increase Tumor Recurrence Risk in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

  • 0Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, WI, USA.

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The combined presence of tumor spread through air spaces (STAS) and visceral pleural invasion (VPI) in lung cancer does not affect overall survival. However, this combination significantly increases the risk of recurrence.

Area Of Science

  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Oncology
  • Surgical Pathology

Background

  • Tumor spread through air spaces (STAS) and visceral pleural invasion (VPI) are recognized negative prognostic indicators in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  • The potential compounding prognostic effect of the simultaneous presence of STAS and VPI remains unclear.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To investigate the combined prognostic impact of STAS and VPI on overall survival and recurrence in NSCLC patients.
  • To analyze the association between the co-occurrence of STAS and VPI and patient outcomes following pulmonary resection.

Main Methods

  • Retrospective cohort analysis of 421 adult patients undergoing pulmonary resection for NSCLC (2018-2022).
  • Comparison of baseline characteristics between patients with STAS only, VPI only, or both STAS and VPI.
  • Kaplan-Meier method used to compare overall survival and cumulative recurrence rates.

Main Results

  • Of 421 patients, 34 (8%) had both STAS and VPI.
  • Combined STAS and VPI were associated with increased smoking pack-years, larger tumor size, and lymphovascular invasion.
  • No significant difference in overall survival was observed between patients with combined STAS/VPI versus those with only one or neither (p=0.190).
  • A significantly increased cumulative incidence of recurrence was found in patients with both STAS and VPI (p=0.001).

Conclusions

  • The concurrent presence of STAS and VPI in NSCLC does not appear to negatively impact overall survival.
  • The combination of STAS and VPI may significantly increase the risk of cancer recurrence.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms behind the increased recurrence risk associated with combined STAS and VPI.

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