Lymph node metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis. Resection of lymph nodes can improve the prognosis of patients. Although surgical techniques are progressing, there is still much controversy about the way of lymph node resection for non-small cell lung cancer. The research progress of hot topics such as the choice of lymph node resection methods for non-small cell lung cancer is discussed and summarized.
ObjectiveTo compare the postoperative chylothorax outcomes of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), analyze the risk factors for postoperative chylothorax after minimally invasive radical lung cancer resection and explore possible prevention and control measures. MethodsBetween June 2012 and September 2020, 1083 patients underwent minimally invasive pulmonary lobectomy and systematic lymph node dissection in our hospital, including 578 males and 505 females with an average age of 60.6±9.4 years. Patients were divided into two groups according to the operation methods: a RATS group (499 patients) and a VATS group (584 patients). After propensity score matching, 434 patients were included in each group (868 patients in total). Chylothorax and other perioperative indicators were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for postoperative chylothorax. ResultsOverall, 24 patients were diagnosed with chylothorax after surgery. Compared with the VATS group, the rate of chylothorax was higher (3.9% vs. 1.6%, P=0.038), the groups and numbers of dissected lymph nodes were more (both P<0.001), and the intraoperative blood loss was significantly less (P<0.001) in the RATS group. There was no statistical difference in the postoperative hospital stay (P=0.256) or chest tube drainage time (P=0.504) between the two groups. Univariate analysis showed that gender (P=0.021), operation approach (P=0.045), smoking (P=0.001) and the groups of dissected lymph nodes (P<0.001) were significantly associated with the development of chylothorax. Multivariate analysis showed that smoking [OR=4.344, 95%CI (1.149, 16.417), P=0.030] and the groups of dissected lymph nodes [OR=1.680, 95%CI (1.221, 2.311), P=0.001] were the independent risk factors for postoperative chylothorax. ConclusionCompared with the VATS, the rate of chylothorax after RATS is higher with more dissected lymph nodes and less blood loss. The incidence of chylothorax after minimally invasive radical lung cancer resection is higher in the patients with increased dissected lymph node groups and smoking history.
ObjectiveTo examine the high-risk factors and prognosis of patients with superior interlobar lymph nodes (11s nodes) metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) located in the right middle or lower lobe.MethodsThe clinical data of 157 patients with NSCLC in the right middle or lower lobe from January 2015 to July 2020 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed, including 98 males and 59 females aged 23-86 (60.01±10.58) years. The patients underwent lobectomy and systemic lymph node dissection along with dissection of 11s nodes. They were divided into a 11s (+) group and a 11s (–) group according to whether the 11s nodes were involved.ResultsThere were 31 patients with invasion in the 11s nodes, and the overall incidence of metastasis was 19.75%, including 13.64% with middle lobe tumors and 20.74% with lower lobe tumors. The 2R+4R nodes involvement was the influencing factor associated with 11s nodes metastasis (P=0.026). The 7th nodes and the inferior mediastinal lymph nodes involvement were high-risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients (P<0.05). The 11s nodes metastasis had nothing to do with the location of the tumor, and it was not an independent factor affecting disease-free survival.ConclusionThe 11s nodes may be a transit for 2R+4R nodes metastasis in the right middle or lower lobe lung cancer, and the 11s nodes should be cleared in the surgical treatment for NSCLC in either the middle or lower lobe of the right lung. The influencing factors for disease-free survival after surgery for lung cancer in the right middle or lower lobe are the metastasis of the subcarinal lymph nodes and the inferior mediastinal lymph nodes.
Objective To analyze the effects of systematic lymph node dissection (SLND) and lobe-specific lymph node dissection (L-SND) on perioperative and long-term outcomes of patients with clinicalⅠA (cⅠA) stage lung adenocarcinoma. Methods A retrospective analysis was done on the patients with cⅠA stage lung adenocarcinoma who received thoracoscopic radical resection admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2013 to August 2016. Propensity score matching was conducted to eliminate the biases. The recurrence-free survival was compared between the two groups after matching. Perioperative parameters and postoperative complications were also analyzed. Results A total of 725 patients were enrolled, including 252 males and 473 females, with a median age of 62.0 (31.0-69.0) years. There were 228 patients in the L-SND group and 497 patients in the SLND group. After matching, there were 211 patients in each group and no statistical difference in the incidence of postoperative complications (10.9% vs. 13.7%, P=0.374), identification of metastatic positive lymph nodes (12.3% vs. 9.0%, P=0.270), or recurrence-free survival (P=0.492) were found between two groups, whereas the operation time (163.9±39.4 min vs. 135.4±32.4 min, P＜0.001), intraoperative blood loss [100.0 (20.0-800.0) mL vs. 100.0 (10.0-400.0) mL, P＜0.001], intubation time [4.0 (1.0-18.0) d vs. 4.0 (1.0-9.0) d, P＜0.001] and hospital stay (12.3±3.3 d vs. 10.8±2.4 d, P=0.003) in the SLND group were found to be significantly higher or longer than those in the L-SND group. Conclusion L-SND has a similar efficiency to SLND in terms of postoperative complications, pathological lymph node metastasis, and recurrence-free survival, as well as significant advantages in reducing intraoperative blood loss, and shortening operation time, intubation time and length of hospital stay. Therefore, L-SND can be recommended to replace SLND as a method for lymph node resection in patients with cⅠA stage lung adenocarcinoma.