[Results and operative indications of lobectomy with bronchoplasty for bronchogenic carcinoma]

We evaluated the results and operative indications of bronchoplastic lobectomy in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. From 1980 to 1992, 34 patients underwent lobectomy in combination with bronchoplastic procedure for lung cancer. In regard to histological typing, they consisted of 18 squamous cell carcinoma, 9 adenocarcinomas, 3 large-cell carcinomas, 2 combined types of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, 1 small-cell carcinoma, and 1 carcinosarcoma. Five-year survival rate of 18 cases of squamous cell carcinoma was 41.2%, whereas 9 cases of adenocarcinoma died within 3 years. We classified 34 cases into two groups according to the reason of indication for bronchoplasty. Group T (n = 19) was the case whose tumor was spreading to the major bronchus. Group LN (n = 14) was the case whose metastatic lymph nodes were invading to the major bronchus. Forty-two percent of Group T was stage III or IV, while 93% of Group LN was stage III or IV. Five-year survival rate was 54.7% in Group T, and 8.1% in Group LN. There were statistical differences between both groups (p < 0.05). In 73 patients who underwent pneumonectomy at the same period, 5-year survival rate was 31.7%. In conclusion, the bronchoplastic procedure is recommended to Group T in comparison with that of Group LN.