Prognostic factors and results after surgical treatment of primary sarcomas of the lung

Background. primary sarcoma of the lung is a rare tumor. Our purpose was to study survival after resection and prognostic factors, which have been rar ely reported. Methods. In a 24-year period, we performed 20 complete resections and three exploratory thoracotomies only for primary lung sarcomas. One patient decl ined operation. Mean diameter of resected tumors was 9 cm (range, 4 to 18 c m). There were eight stage IB, eight stage IIB, one stage IIIA, and three s tage IIIB. Sixty percent of patients with resected tumors received adjuvant therapy. Age, sex, resectability, tumor size, histologic cell type, stage, and adjuvant therapy were analyzed as predictors of survival. Results. No postoperative deaths occurred. All 4 patients who had no resect ion died within 15 months. The 5- and 10-year actuarial survival after comp lete resection was 48%. The 5- and 10-year actuarial survival in stage IB w as 83%, whereas the 4-year actuarial survival in stage IIB was 30% (p < 0.0 5). Complete resection and stage of disease were the sole significant progn ostic factors. Conclusions. Complete resection of primary sarcoma of the lung, when feasib le, can achieve prolonged survival, although almost half of the patients di ed of metastasis within 2 years of operation. Adjuvant therapy needs to be investigated. (C) 1999 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.