SURGERY OF PULMONARY METASTASES

Operations were carried out on 94 patients with pulmonary metastases a t the Cologna University Clinic from 01,01.1980 to 31-12.1991, The pre vailing primary tumors which metastasized to the lungs were sarcomas ( 24.5 %, 23 cases), carcinoma of the kidneys (22.3 %, 21 cases), malign ant melanomas (19.1 18 cases), carcinoma of the large intestine (15.9 %, 15 cases), and carcinoma of the testes and ovaries (10.6 %, 10 case s). Metastasis to the lung from an esophageal tumor was encountered in one case, from the contralateral lung in one case, from a malignant t hymoma in one case, and from carcinoma of the larynx in one case. Meta stases of carcinoma of the mouth floor were encountered in 3 cases. Th e metastases were removed by at atypical wedge resection in 71 cases, by lobectomy in 22 cases, and by segmental resection in one case. Post operative mortality was 1.1 %. Average survival for all groups of pati ents was as follows: one year 60 %, 3 years 40 %, 5 years 38.3 %.