[Survival after surgery for bronchogenic carcinoma in relation to blood transfusion]

The authors observed 143 patients operated on for lung cancer over a period of five years. In 85 patients, who received a blood transfusion, the authors evaluated the relationship between the amount of blood transfused at the time before and after the operation and the localisation and TNM classification of the tumour, the operative procedure and the age of the patient. In a detailed statistical analysis the authors evaluated the long-term survival rates of patients with and without blood transfusions. Surprisingly, there were no essential differences in the amount of blood transfused, neither in various localisations of the tumour nor in the variously advanced T, N, M stages nor in the most frequent technical complications during surgery. All the 16 patient who received more than 1000 ml of blood died within 18 months after the operation. In spite of this fact the authors were not able to prove statistically significant differences in the long-term survival of patients with and without blood transfusion.