Thoracic wall prosthesis prevents deep invasion by non-small-cell lung cancer

Chest wall invasion is found in 5% of patients with non-small-cell lung can cer. Treatment for localized non-small-cell lung cancer consists of surgica l resection and/or radiotherapy. We report a patient with lung cancer who h ad a local relapse after a reconstruction of the thoracic wall with a soft- tissue patch. Chemotherapy was given before reresection of the local relaps e. Postoperative radiation therapy was performed. Twenty-one months after t reatment for recurrent disease, the patient remains in complete remission. The history of this patient shows that a soft-tissue patch may prevent loca l tumor invasion. A review of the literature is given.