Surgical outcome of patients with lung cancer involving the left atrium

Pulmonary and left atrial resection is not yet an established treatment for patients with primary lung cancer involving the left atrium. We investigated the clinical course of patients with primary lung cancer involving the left atrium who were treated with pulmonary resection and partial atrial resection.

From January 1996 to December 2013, 51 patients underwent extended resection for lung cancer that invaded the surrounding organs. Of these, we focused on 12 patients who underwent surgical treatment for lung cancer involving the left atrium. The clinical course of each of these patients was investigated retrospectively.

The most common histological subtype was squamous cell carcinoma. Pneumonectomy was performed in nine patients, and right middle and lower lobectomy was performed in three patients. Complete resection was performed in 11 patients (92 %). Postoperative complications were observed in four patients (33 %)—prolonged air leakage in two patients, broncho-pleural fistula in one patient, and empyema in one patient. There were no surgical deaths. This study involved seven patients with pathological N0–1 disease and five patients with pathological N2 disease. The postoperative 5-year survival rate was 46 % in all patients. The 5-year survival rates in patients with pathological N0–1 disease and N2 disease were 67 and 20 %, respectively.

Because treatment-related death was not observed and outcome was fair in patients with N0–1 disease, surgical resection for primary lung cancer involving the left atrium may be acceptable in selected patients. Further investigations are required to improve the outcome of surgical treatment for patients with primary lung cancer involving the left atrium.