Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors for surgically resected second primary lung cancer

Abstract

Background : This study was designed to analyze the predictive factors for survival in second primary lung cancer patients following operation.

Methods : A total of 1852 patients who underwent resection for primary lung cancer between January 1990 and December 2008 were reviewed, retrospectively.

Results : Nineteen patients were treated for synchronous second primary lung cancer and 23 patients were treated for metachronous cancer. The overall 5-year survival rate for patients with synchronous second primary lung cancer was comparable to that of patients with single-lung cancer (51.4 vs. 48.7%, p = 0.755). The overall 5-year survival rate after the first tumor resection in patients with metachronous second primary lung cancer was significantly better than that of patients with single-lung cancer (85.4 vs. 48.7%, p = 0.003), but was not significantly different after the second tumor resection (77.0 vs. 48.7%, p = 0.057).

Conclusion : Surgically resected second primary lung cancer had a survival comparable with single-lung cancer. Histologic concordance between the first and second tumors, and the pathological stage were important prognostic factors in second primary lung cancer.