Primary lung sarcomas: long survivors obtained with iterative complete surgery

Primary lung sarcomas are uncommon histologic types of primary lung cancer and presents a wide spectrum of clinical behaviour. Nine patients treated a t Antoine Lacassagne Cancer Center between 1982 and 1995 were studied. The median age was 63 years (range, 35-73 years) and the most common histologic types were malignant fibrous histiocytoma (four) and leiomyosarcoma (three ). All of them underwent surgery, six patients had a complete surgery and t hree patients incomplete resections. The median overall survival for all pa tients was jh months. In the subgroup of patients with initial complete res ection. the median survival was significantly longer (47 months) than in th e subgroup of patients with incomplete resection (6 months) (P<0.05. log-ra nk test). Moreover, tno patients had a second complete resection for ipsila teral lung relapse and were long survivors (overall survival of 58 and 83 m onths. respectively). The ability to achieve a complete second surgery stre ss the possible benefit of an early detection of local recurrence. Because no specific symptom was linked with the local relapse, a systematic CT scan every 2 or 3 months could be required. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland L td. All rights reserved.