LONG-TERM SURVIVAL AFTER BRONCHIAL SLEEVE RESECTION - UNIVARIATE AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYSES

Background. Long-term results after bronchial sleeve resection remain controversial, especially in relation to nodal involvement. In a previ ous report, there were no 10-year survivors among patients with N1 or N2 disease. Methods. From 1960 to 1989, 145 patients underwent bronchi al sleeve resection for a bronchogenic tumor. Follow-up was updated un til the end of 1994, so the minimum follow-up was 5 years for survivin g patients. A univariate analysis and a multivariate analysis were per formed. Results. For the whole group, 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year sur vival rates were 46%, 33%, and 22%, respectively. The median survival time was 53 months. Five-year and 10-year survival rates for the 71 pa tients with N0 disease were 62% and 51%, respectively; for the 58 pati ents with N1 disease, 31% and 10%; and for the 16 patients with N2 dis ease, 5-year and 7-year survival rates were 31% and 13%. There was a h ighly significant difference in survival between patients with ND and N1 or N2 disease but not between those with N1 and N2 disease. Multiva riate analysis showed only nodal stage and patient age to be significa nt factors in relation to survival. Conclusions. Long-term results aft er bronchial sleeve resection are influenced chiefly by nodal stage. A significantly lower survival is found in patients with N1 and N2 dise ase, and most of these patients die of distant metastases.