Chest wall resection for bronchogenic carcinoma

The incidence rate of chest wall invasion in bronchogenic carcinoma is difficult to estimate, but is possibly as high as 5%. These cancers can be locally extensive without systemic dissemination. From 1973 to 1982, 9 patients in our hospital underwent en bloc pulmonary and partial chest wall resection for bronchogenic carcinoma with local invasion of the thoracic wall. All the patients were male, their ages ranging from 49 to 67 years. Pain was the most prominent symptom. Bronchoscopy examination revealed no tumors in 7 of the 9 patients, in one a tumor was seen in the apex of the right lower lobe and in another in the apex of the right upper lobe. Seven lobectomies and 2 pneumonectomies were performed. The macroscopic size of the tumour ranged from 3 to 17 cm, the number of partially resected ribs ranged from 1 to 4. In 8 cases squamous cell carcinoma was found, in one adenocarcinoma. After operation 7 patients were classified as T3N0M0 and 2 as T3N1M0. One T3N0M0 patient died shortly after operation due to a lung embolism. Two out of the 6 patients with T3N0M0 neoplasm survived more than 5 years, none of the patients with T3N1M0 neoplasm survived more than 3 months. Late deaths were due to recurrent carcinoma in the chest wall (2 cases), cerebral metastasis (1 case), cardiac failure (1 case) and unknown causes (2 cases). In cases where the lymph nodes are not involved, the survival rate is not unfavorably influenced by chest wall invasion. In the literature the mean operative mortality rate is 12%, the median survival time approximately one year and the mean 5-year survival rate 18%; resection is also of great importance in relieving pain.