TITLE:
Five-Year Survivors of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with Positive Pleural Lavage Cytology
AUTHORS:
Masaki Tomita, Takanori Ayabe, Eiichi Chosa, Kunihide Nakamura
KEYWORDS:
Pleural Lavage Cytology Positive; Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer; 5-Year Survivor
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Lung Cancer,
Vol.3 No.1,
February
24,
2014
ABSTRACT: Background: The pleural lavage cytology (PLC) for non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC) patients has been reported as a significant prognostic factor.
The aim of this study is to clarify the clinicopathological characteristics of
5-year survivors of patients with positive PLC. Methods: Among 401 resected
NSCLC patients, 30 (7.48%) patients with positive PLC were reviewed
retrospectively. Results: Only 7 of 30 patients (23.3%) survived more than
5-year. There were no differences in age, gender, histology, pT status and pN
status between 5-year survivors and non-survivors. On the other hand, the serum
carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level was significantly higher in non-survivors.
Among these 5-year survivors, 4 of 7 patients died of NSCLC recurrences more
than 5 years after surgery. Remaining 3 patients survived without cancer
recurrences. Interestingly these 3 survivors had not received any adjuvant
therapies after surgery. Conclusion: None of the 5-year survivor with positive
PLC had high serum CEA level. Furthermore 5-year survival did not equal to cure
in NSCLC patients with positive PLC.