Resección de metástasis pulmonares

Abstract

Resection of lung metastasesIntroduction: Surgical treatment of lung metastases (LM) is a therapy used for several types of metastatic cancers. However, the type of surgery and its outcome is controversial. Aim: To describe a series of patients with LM undergoing surgical treatment, their results and long-term follow up. Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all the medical records of patients with the diagnosis of LM, of whatever origin, operated at our hospital between the years 2002 and 2008. We analyzed their clinical characteristics, treatment, morbidity, mortality and results. Results: During this period 24 patients with LM were operated. The mean age was 52.8 ± 16.6 years. Most patients had kidney cancer as primary tumour. The usual clinical presentation was multiple bilateral nodules. The surgical approach was in general a video-thoracoscopy (40.9%) associated with a wedge resection of the lesions (81.8%). In 83.4% of cases, there were no post-operative complications. Seventy six percent of the patients relapse, in an average of 16.7 ± 12 months and 68.7% were reoperated for a new resection. The probability of surviving more than 3 and 5 years post metastasectomy was 57% and 36% respectively. Conclusions: In this series the LM were mostly secondary to renal cancer. The video-thoracoscopy is an emergent and safe technique in the treatment of LM, being the main type of surgical approach in our patients. Despite the high percentage of reoperations, the survival rate is comparable to the rest of the published series.