Predictors of postoperative survival in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma

A surgical resection for locally advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remains controversial. This study analyzed the clinicopathological profile and surgical outcome of patients with locally advanced NSCLC to identify the predictors of survival. This study retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 86 patients with pathological T3 or T4 primary NSCLC treated at Chiba University Hospital, and evaluated prognostic factors. Sixty-eight of 86 cases were treated with a complete resection, and 18 were evaluated as an incomplete resection. The 5-year overall survival rate of all cases was 45.7%. Univariate analyses of survival were performed to determine the predictors of overall survival in patients with pathological T3 or T4 NSCLC. Age of 70 years or more, tumor length more than 5 cm, lymph node metastases, incomplete resection, and histology of non-adenocarcinoma were significantly associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Multivariate analyses revealed that older age, incomplete resection, and lymph node metastases were independent predictors of shorter survival. A complete resection for selected cases is acceptable in the management of T3 or T4 NSCLC.