ObjectiveTo compare the clinical effects of lobectomy and sublobar resection in the treatment of lung metastasis and to analyze the factors affecting patient prognosis. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 165 patients with pulmonary metastasis who underwent thoracic surgery at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University between March 2010 and May 2021, including 67 males and 98 females, with a median age of 52 (44, 62) years. According to the operation methods, patients were divided into a lobectomy group and a sublobar resection group. The clinical data of the patients were compared between the two groups. The Cox proportional hazard model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. ResultsThe 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 60.0% and 34.3%, respectively, and the median survival time was 24 months. The 3- and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 39.4% and 23.7%, respectively. Compared with the lobectomy group, the sublobar resection group had shorter operation time for pulmonary metastases (P<0.001), less intraoperative blood loss (P<0.001), less drainage volume on the first day after surgery (P<0.001), less incidence of prolonged air leak (P=0.004), shorter drainage tube indwelling time (P=0.002), and shorter postoperative hospital stay (P=0.023). The disease-free survival time after sublobar resection and lobectomy was 26 months and 24 months, respectively, with no statistical difference (P=0.970). The total survival time of the two groups was 73 months and 69 months, respectively, with no significant difference (P=0.697). Multivariate analysis showed that sex [HR=0.616, 95%CI (0.390, 0.974), P=0.038], disease-free interval [HR=1.753, 95%CI (1.082, 2.842), P=0.023], and postoperative adjuvant therapy [HR=2.638, 95%CI (1.352, 5.147), P=0.004] were independent influencing factors for disease-free survival of patients who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy. Disease-free interval [HR=2.033, 95%CI (1.062, 3.894), P=0.032] and preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level [HR=2.708, 95%CI (1.420, 5.163), P=0.002] were independent factors influencing the overall survival of patients in this group. ConclusionSublobar resection provides a safe and effective treatment option for patients with pulmonary metastasis on the premise of ensuring R0 resection of lung metastasis. Sex, disease-free interval, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level, and adjuvant therapy after pulmonary metastasectomy are the independent influencing factors for the prognosis.
Lung is one of the most common metastatic organs of carcinomas. Pulmonary metastasectomy has become a common procedure in thoracic surgery and its effectiveness has been demonstrated by many researches. Once the malignant tumor is combined with lung metastasis, which belongs to the category of advanced tumor, surgical resection is only a palliative treatment to reduce the tumor load. However, there are still some controversies among the surgical indications, preoperative examinations, surgical methods and resection ranges, lymph node management, recurrence and re-resection of metastatic tumor and prognostic factors. This article reviews pulmonary metastasectomy from the above aspects.