Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the operative outcome and pulmonary function
after lobectomy; this included systematic mediastinal and hilar lymph node dissection
for primary non-small cell lung cancer or pulmonary metastases of extrapulmonary origin
in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a preoperative FEV1 of less than 1.5 l (< 80 % of predicted value) and FEV1/FVC < 70 % (COPD II°). Methods: A retrospective analysis was undertaken in 79 patients who had consecutively undergone
lobectomy with a preoperative FEV1 < 1.5 l (< 80 %) and FEV1/FVC < 70 % (COPD II°). Inclusion criteria were the ability to complete pulmonary
function tests and lobectomy for malignancy. Patients with small cell lung cancer
and unable to quit smoking less than 6 months prior to surgery were excluded. In 38
cases, pulmonary function tests were performed at 3 months after surgery, and 16 patients
had tests at 3 and 6 months. Results: A total of 79 patients were included in this study, with a median age of 70 years
(range: 45 - 85 years). The median preoperative FEV1 was 1.3 l (range: 0.8 - 1.5 l), and patients underwent assisted ventilation for less
than 1 hour after surgery (range: 0 - 214 h), and stayed for less than 24 h in the
intensive care unit (range: 1 h-56 d). Three patients (3.8 %) died within 30 days
after lobectomy. In 14 patients, additional treatment for surgical complications was
performed (17.7 %). Follow-up after surgery revealed a significant decrease in FVC
and FEV1 (- 17 % and - 8 %, p < 0.005), but function had improved again (+ 10 % and + 11 %, p < 0.05) at 3 months after surgery and remained stable at 6 months after lobectomy.
No statistically significant changes were noticed for paO2 and paCO2 values after surgical treatment. Conclusions: It appears that surgical resection of malignant lung tumours by lobectomy can also
be performed successfully in selected patients with low FEV1 and COPD II° without significant loss of pulmonary function.
Key words
thoracic surgery - lobectomy - COPD - pulmonary function
References
- 1
Birim O, Zuydendorp H M, Maat A P, Kappetein A P, Eijkemans M J, Bogers A J.
Lung resection for non-small-cell lung cancer in patients older than 70: mortality,
morbidity, and late survival compared with the general population.
Ann Thorac Surg.
2003;
76
1796-1801
- 2
Beckles M A, Spiro S G, Colice G L, Rudd R M.
The physiologic evaluation of patients with lung cancer being considered for resectional
surgery.
Chest.
2003;
123 (Suppl 1)
105S-114S
- 3
Beckles M A, Spiro S G, Colice G L, Rudd R M.
Initial evaluation of the patient with lung cancer: symptoms, signs, laboratory tests,
and paraneoplastic syndromes.
Chest.
2003;
123 (Suppl 1)
97S-104S
- 4
Korst R J, Ginsberg R J, Ailawadi M, Bains M S, Downey Jr R J, Rusch V W. et al .
Lobectomy improves ventilatory function in selected patients with severe COPD.
Ann Thorac Surg.
1998;
66
898-902
- 5
Carretta A, Zannini P, Puglisi A, Chiesa G, Vanzulli A, Bianchi A. et al .
Improvement of pulmonary function after lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer in
emphysematous patients.
Eur J Cardiothorac Surg.
1999;
15
602-607
- 6
Santambrogio L, Nosotti M, Baisi A, Ronzoni G, Bellaviti N, Rosso L.
Pulmonary lobectomy for lung cancer: a prospective study to compare patients with
forced expiratory volume in 1 s more or less than 80 % of predicted.
Eur J Cardiothorac Surg.
2001;
20
684-687
- 7
Sekine Y, Iwata T, Chiyo M, Yasufuku K, Motohashi S, Yoshida S. et al .
Minimal alteration of pulmonary function after lobectomy in lung cancer patients with
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Ann Thorac Surg.
2003;
76
356-361
362
- 8
Bellamy D, Bouchard J, Henrichsen S, Johansson G, Langhammer A, Reid J. et al .
International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) guidelines: management of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Prim Care Respir J.
2006;
15
48-57
- 9
Ollenschlager G, Kopp I, Lelgemann M.
[The German program for disease management guidelines: COPD guideline 2006. Short
review].
Med Klin (Munich).
2007;
102
50-55
- 10
Mountain C F.
Revisions in the international system for staging lung cancer.
Chest.
1997;
111
1710-1717
- 11
Markos J, Mullan B P, Hillman D R, Musk A W, Antico V F, Lovegrove F T. et al .
Preoperative assessment as a predictor of mortality and morbidity after lung resection.
Am Rev Respir Dis.
1989;
139
902-910
- 12
Kearney D J, Lee T H, Reilly J J, DeCamp M M, Sugarbaker D J.
Assessment of operative risk in patients undergoing lung resection. Importance of
predicted pulmonary function.
Chest.
1994;
105
753-759
- 13
Licker M J, Widikker I, Robert J, Frey J G, Spiliopoulos A, Ellenberger C. et al .
Operative mortality and respiratory complications after lung resection for cancer:
impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and time trends.
Ann Thorac Surg.
2006;
81
1830-1837
- 14
Magdeleinat P, Seguin A, Alifano M, Boubia S, Regnard J F.
Early and long-term results of lung resection for non-small-cell lung cancer in patients
with severe ventilatory impairment.
Eur J Cardiothorac Surg.
2005;
27
1099-1105
- 15
Damhuis R A, Schutte P R.
Resection rates and postoperative mortality in 7899 patients with lung cancer.
Eur Respir J.
1996;
9
7-10
- 16
Mazzone P J, Arroliga A C.
Lung cancer: preoperative pulmonary evaluation of the lung resection candidate.
Am J Med.
2005;
118
578-583
- 17
Berggren H, Ekroth R, Malmberg R, Naucler J, William-Olsson G.
Hospital mortality and long-term survival in relation to preoperative function in
elderly patients with bronchogenic carcinoma.
Ann Thorac Surg.
1984;
38
633-636
- 18
Ali M K, Ewer M S, Atallah M R, Mountain C F, Dixon C L, Johnston D A. et al .
Regional and overall pulmonary function changes in lung cancer. Correlations with
tumor stage, extent of pulmonary resection, and patient survival.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.
1983;
86
1-8
- 19
Nezu K, Kushibe K, Tojo T, Takahama M, Kitamura S.
Recovery and limitation of exercise capacity after lung resection for lung cancer.
Chest.
1998;
113
1511-1516
- 20
Sekine Y, Chiyo M, Iwata T, Yasufuku K, Furukawa S, Amada Y. et al .
Perioperative rehabilitation and physiotherapy for lung cancer patients with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease.
Jpn J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.
2005;
53
237-243
- 21
Bolliger C T, Jordan P, Soler M, Stulz P, Tamm M, Wyser C. et al .
Pulmonary function and exercise capacity after lung resection.
Eur Respir J.
1996;
9
415-421
- 22
Bobbio A, Chetta A, Carbognani P, Internullo E, Verduri A, Sansebastiano G. et al
.
Changes in pulmonary function test and cardio-pulmonary exercise capacity in COPD
patients after lobar pulmonary resection.
Eur J Cardiothorac Surg.
2005;
28
754-758
- 23
Cesario A, Di Toro S, Granone P.
Pulmonary lobectomy for cancer in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.
2006;
132
215-216
216
MD Joachim Pfannschmidt
Department of Thoracic Surgery
Thoraxklinik am Universitätsklinikum
Amalienstraße 5
69126 Heidelberg
Germany
Phone: + 49 6 22 13 96 11 02
Fax: + 49 62 21 39 68 11 01
Email: joachim.pfannschmidt@thoraxklinik-heidelberg.de