Resection of secondary pulmonary malignancies in head and neck cancer patients

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate a single institute's experience with resection of metachronous pulmonary malignancy in patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Sixty-three consecutive patients treated curatively for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma underwent surgical resection of malignant lung lesions. Survival was estimated and potential prognostic factors investigated. The median overall survival for the total group was 22.2 months. Fifty-one patients (81 per cent) had one lung lesion, while the remainder had multiple lesions (range, two to seven). In the 63 patients, 35 lobectomies, 4 pneumonectomies and 24 wedge resections were performed. For patients with pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma (n = 52), the three-year survival rate was 35 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval, 22-48); for patients with resected adenocarcinoma (n = 10), it was 50 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval, 18-75). The overall five-year survival rate was 30 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval, 19-42). In patients treated curatively for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, resection of secondary pulmonary cancer is associated with favourable long term overall survival, especially for patients with adenocarcinoma lesions.