Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Thoracic surgery hasn't got consensus on therapy of pIIIa/N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study is to identify prognostic factors in NSCLC with N2 nodal involvement. METHODS: A retrospective review of disease free survival and 5-year survival for NSCLC patients who underwent primary surgical resection without neoadjuvant chemotherapy was performed. Between January 1998 and May 2004, 133 patients were enrolled. Several factors such as age, sex, skip metastasis, number of N2 lymph node stations, type of resection, histology and adjuvant therapy were recorded and analyzed. SPSS 16.0 was used for calculating survival. RESULTS: Overall 5-year survival for 133 patients was 32.33%, and 5-year survival for single N2 station and multiple N2 station sub-group were 39.62% and 27.50%, respectively. 5-year survival for cN0-1 and cN2 sub-group were 37.78% and 20.93%, respectively. Cox regression analysis revealed that number of N2 station (P=0.013, OR=0.490, 95%CI: 0.427-0.781) and cN status (P=0.009, OR=0.607, 95%CI: 0.372-0.992) were two favorable prognostic factors of survival. CONCLUSION: Number of N2 station and cN status are two favorable prognostic factors of survival. In restrict enrolled circumstances, after combined therapy made up of surgery and postoperative adjuvant therapy have been performed, satisfied survival can be achieved.