Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes After Robotic Lobectomy for Early-stage Non–Small-cell Lung Cancer Versus Video-assisted Thoracoscopic and Open Thoracotomy Approach

Although robotic-assisted lobectomy has been increasingly used for resection of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the long-term oncologic outcomes compared with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and the open thoracotomy approach have remained ill-defined. Society of Thoracic Surgeons outcomes data and surveillance records of patients with stage I-IIIa NSCLC who had undergone lobectomy by robotic-assisted, VATS, or the open approach at a single center from 2012 to 2017 were reviewed. Propensity score adjustment by inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to balance the baseline characteristics. Recurrence and survival were analyzed and compared by the operative approach. The inverse probability of treatment weighting-adjusted cohort included 514 patients with NSCLC who had undergone robotic-assisted (n = 245), VATS (n = 118), and open (n = 151) lobectomy, with similar patient and disease characteristics. The minimally invasive procedures were associated with a shorter median hospital length of stay (robotic, 5.2 days; VATS, 4.9 days; open, 7.3 days; P < .001) and 0-adjusted 30-day mortality rate. With a median follow-up period of 45 months, the incidence for locoregional recurrence (robotic, 7%; VATS, 6%; open, 8%; P = .9) and distant failure (robotic, 14%; VATS, 18%; open, 17%; P = .9) was similar. The 5-year overall survival for robotic-assisted, VATS, and open lobectomy was 63%, 55%, and 65%, respectively (P = .56). No difference was found in stage-specific survival for stage I, II, and IIIa. On multivariate analysis, the robotic approach was associated with no differences in overall survival and recurrence-free survival compared with VATS and open lobectomy. Robotic lobectomy was associated with durable freedom of recurrence and long-term survival equivalent to those achieved with VATS and the traditional open thoracotomy approach. The robotic-assisted approach for lobectomy is one of the latest developments in minimally invasive thoracoscopic surgery for early-stage non–small-cell lung cancer. However, the long-term data on oncologic efficacy are limited. In the present, large propensity score study, we found that robotic lobectomy was associated with durable disease control and long-term survival similar to those with the previously established video-assisted thoracoscopic and open lobectomy approaches.