Lung cancer : journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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The purpose of our study was to determine the incidence of various types of postoperative pulmonary complications and to evaluate the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on the long-term survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing pulmonary resection. ⋯ The presence of COPD is an acceptable predictor of postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with NSCLC. COPD is also a significant risk factor for development of respiratory-related complications, which may explain the poor long-term survival in these patients.