Zhongguo fei ai za zhi = Chinese journal of lung cancer
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Zhongguo Fei Ai Za Zhi · Apr 2010
Surgical therapeutic strategy for non-small cell lung cancer with mediastinal lymph node metastasis (N2).
Approximately 30% of patients who are diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are classified as N2 on the basis of metastasis to the mediastinal lymph nodes. The effectiveness of surgery for these patients remains controversial. Although surgeries in recent years are proved to be effective to some extent, yet due to many reasons, 5-year survival rate after surgery varies greatly from patient to patient. Thus it is necessary to select patients who have a high probability of being be cured through an operation, who are suitable to receive surgery and the best surgical methods so as to figure out the conditions under which surgical treatment can be chosen and the factors that may influence prognosis. ⋯ It is suggested that surgery (lobectomy preferentially) is the best solution for T1 and T2 with primary tumor have not invaded pleura or the distance to carina of trachea no less than 2 cm, unexpected N2 discovered at thoractomy when a complete resection can be applied, and proven N2 discovered during preoperative work-up and is down-staged after induction therapy. Surgical treatment is the best option, lobectomy should be prioritized in operational methods since ise rate of complication and morality are lower than that of pneumonectomy. Patients' survival time will not benefit from surgery if they are with lymph nodes metastasis of multiple stations (Bulky N2 included) and T4 which can be partially removed. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy increases long-term survival rate of those with N2 proven prior to surgery. However, postoperative radiotherapy decreases local recurrence rate but does not contribute to patients' long-term survival rate.