[Long-term results of surgical treatment of lung metastases]

A retrospective review covered 110 patients who had had 130 thoracotomies for 193 lung metastases between 1960 and 1988. The cumulative survival rate after 5 years was 39%, 24% after 10 years and 13% after 15 years. The median survival was 3.8 years; the average survival was 7 years. In a multivariate analysis, response to prior chemotherapy, local tumor extent (intrapulmonary versus extrapulmonary disease) and venous drainage (caval versus portal) were the most important prognostic factors. The number of metastases and the interval between primary tumor and lung metastases were of minor prognostic importance.