Sublobar resection for metachronous stage I second primary non-small cell lung cancer: A single-centre experience.

Introduction: More patients are developing second primary lung cancer (SPLC). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the extent of SPLC resection on outcomes.

Material and methods: We retrospectively investigated 1,895 patients with lung cancer who underwent pulmonary resection from 2011 to 2018. SPLC was diagnosed using the criteria of Martini and Melamed. Patients with pathological stage I SPLC who underwent lobectomy for first primary lung cancer (FPLC) were included in the study. Outcomes and clinical factors that could affect survival were evaluated.

Results: Fifty-four patients were eligible for the study. Lobectomy, segmentectomy, or wedge resection was performed for 10, 32, and 12 patients, respectively. Neither overall nor relapse-free survival was significantly different based on the extent of resection for stage I SPLC. Multivariate analysis revealed that interval between FPLC and SPLC of less than 5 years was an independent risk factors for worse relapse-free survival after SPLC resection (interval: hazard ratio, 0.28; P = 0.048). The median interval from prior resection to secondary resection was 68 months.

Conclusions: Sublobar resection might be a realistic option for stage I SPLC. To realize early detection of SPLC that can undergo radical sublobar resection, the surveillance period after prior resection of FPLC is worth reconsidering.