Pulmonary resections following prior definitive chemoradiation therapy are associated with acceptable survival

OBJECTIVES The benefits of salvage resection for lung cancer recurrence following high-dose curative-intent chemoradiation therapy are unclear. We assessed survival after salvage lung resection following definitive chemoradiation. METHODS Medical records of patients undergoing lung cancer resections at our institution following definitive chemoradiation therapy were reviewed from June 2006 to August 2012. A multivariate Cox proportional model was used to assess the factors associated with improved survival. RESULTS Fourteen patients had chemoradiation therapy before lung resection (pneumonectomy, lobectomy or segmentectomy). Pretherapy cancer stage was Stage III in 11 patients, Stage IV in 2 and Stage II in 1. Postoperative 2-year survival was 49%. Patients had a median disease-free interval before resection of 33 months. No variables were found to be associated with improved post-chemoradiation survival from the time of definitive treatment or postoperative survival. Complications occurred in 6 (43%) patients, with 2 of those complications directly attributable to post-chemoradiation changes. There were no perioperative deaths within 90 days. CONCLUSIONS Salvage lung resection for recurrent lung cancer following definitive chemoradiation therapy is feasible and is associated with postoperative survival and complication rates that are reasonable.