The evolution of bronchoplasty and broncho-angioplasty as treatments for lung cancer: evaluation of 30 years of data from a single institution.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors contributing to the outcomes of bronchoplasty for lung cancer by analysing a single institution's data for a 30-year period.

METHODS: A retrospective review of 213 patients who underwent bronchoplasty for lung cancer between 1980 and 2010 was undertaken. The patients were divided into two groups by the date of surgery: the first period was 1980-95, and the second period was 1996-2010.

RESULTS: Bronchoplasty and broncho-angioplasty were performed in 100 (75.8%) and 32 (24.2%) patients, respectively, in the first period and 61 (75.3%) and 20 (24.7%) patients, respectively, in the second period. Overall 90-day operative morbidity and mortality rates were 25.8 and 9.8%, respectively, in the first period and 45.7 and 2.5%, respectively, in the second period. Thirty-day mortality rates were 6.8% in the first period and 0% in the second period. Five-year survival was 41.1% (n = 132) in the first period and 61.5% (n = 81) in the second period (P = 0.0003). Comparing bronchoplasty and broncho-angioplasty, the 5-year survival was 45.6 and 26.5%, respectively, in the first period (P = 0.0048) and 60.9 and 62.1%, respectively, in the second period (P = 0. 8131). Using multivariate analysis to identify potential prognostic factors, the type of operation (broncho-angioplasty), postoperative complications and histology (non-squamous cell carcinoma) were significant factors affecting survival in the first period, but none of the factors significantly affected survival in the second period. When the rates of pN2 or N3 histological type disease were compared in each period, the rate of pN2 or N3 disease in non-squamous cell carcinoma was 51.4% in the first period and 45.5% in the second period; both were significantly higher than in squamous cell carcinoma (31.6 and 16.9%, respectively; P = 0. 0365 and 0.0073).

CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that progress in the preoperative staging system and perioperative medical management, as well as surgery, has contributed to current improvements in patients undergoing bronchoplasty and broncho-angioplasty. However, since nodal status in non-squamous cell carcinoma is not precisely evaluated before the operation, the indication for bronchoplasty should be considered carefully.