The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 32, 19-22, Copyright © 1981 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
The choice of operation for bronchial carcinoids
T Aberg, T Blondal, E Nou and J Malmaeus
In a review of the literature, 1,392 patients with bronchial carcinoids
were found. Of these, there were 313 patients for whom individual data with
regard to type of operation, follow-up period, and outcome were given.
Actuarial curves for proportions of patients who had not died of the
disease or who had not undergone reoperation for residual disease were
constructed for each type of operation. The prognosis up to 20 years after
surgical treatment for bronchial carcinoids is excellent. For 15 to 20
years postoperatively, the prognosis after a lobectomy is excellent and
after a pneumonectomy, slightly worse. The prognosis after a lung
parenchyma-saving operation (wedge or segmental resection and
bronchoplastic procedures) is similar to that after a lobectomy up to 7
years postoperatively. After that, the proportion of disease-free patients
declines precipitously. At 20 years the difference in comparison with a
lobectomy is statistically significant for both wedge or segmental
resections and bronchoplastic procedures. Parenchyma- saving operations
cannot therefore be said to be radical. A policy for decision-making at the
operating table is formulated.
