Large cell carcinoma of the lung: results of resection for a cure. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of surgical resection of large cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the lung remains poorly defined because of the histology's relatively low frequency, the tendency for presentation with high-stage disease, and the failure in most published series to separate large cell carcinomas from the other variants of non-small cell lung carcinoma. To define the effectiveness of surgical treatment of large cell carcinoma, we reviewed the Mayo Clinic experience over a 5-year period. METHODS: We have retrospectively reviewed the Mayo Clinic experience with 61 patients with large cell carcinoma and 17 patients with adenocarcinoma with focal mucin production who came to surgical resection during the 5-year period of January 1, 1982, through December 31, 1986. RESULTS: One-hundred percent 5-year follow-up was obtained. For the 61 patients with large cell carcinoma, the overall 5-year survival was 37%. Five-year survival for those with stage I tumors was 58% (n = 31), stage II 33% (n = 6), stage IIIA 15% (n = 20), stage IIIB 0% (n = 2), and stage IV 0% (n = 2). No significant differences in survival were detected between the 61 patients with large cell carcinoma and the 17 patients with solid adenocarcinoma with mucin production. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that there is a subset of patients with large cell carcinoma of the lung who can undergo resection with a reasonable expectation of long-term survival and that this survival is, stage for stage, comparable to or only slightly less than that achieved with other non-small cell lung carcinomas.

publication date

  • March 1, 1999

Research

keywords

  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
  • Lung Neoplasms
  • Pneumonectomy

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0033023840

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/s0022-5223(99)70341-7

PubMed ID

  • 10047666

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 117

issue

  • 3