Evaluation of Surgical Procedures with Technological Limitations for Diagnosis and Staging of Lung Cancers

Objectives: Early diagnosis of lung cancer increases survival. However, advanced technological capabilities for diagnosis and staging may not be available in every hospital. This study evaluated the use of surgical procedures with technological limitations to provide relevant information to similar institutions worldwide.
Methods: Sixty patients, 49 males (84.2%) and 11 females (15.8%), who underwent diagnostic and curative surgery for lung cancer between January 2011 and January 2021were enrolled and analyzed retrospectively. Diagnostic surgery and curative surgery were performed in 23 (38.3%) and 37 (61.7%) patients, respectively. Age, sex, smoking, diagnostic methods, tumor cell type, staging, radiological localization of the lesion, treatment received, and survival were recorded.
Results: The predicted survival for patients >65 years old was 35 (range: 22.6–49.2) months, significantly lower than the 69.4 (range: 51.5–87.4) months for patients ≤65 years (p>0.05). Predicted survival was significantly lower for diagnostic surgery than for curative surgery group (19.5 vs. 76.4 months; p<0.05) and for small-cell lung cancer (n=5, 8.3%) than for non-small-cell lung cancer (9.9, range: 5.6–14.3 months vs. 60, range: 46.6–73.4 months; p<0.05). SCLC was significantly associated with mortality (p<0.05) but did not differ among patients with adenocarcinoma or squamous cell or sarcomatoid carcinoma.
Conclusion: Early diagnosis found to significantly improve survival. The most appropriate treatment was radical resection with early diagnosis, which can increase survival in treatable patients with early-stage lung cancer in any center with a thoracic surgeon.