Surgical feasibility of ipsilateral multifocal non-small cell lung cancer in different lobes

Objective: The management of ipsilateral multifocal non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in different lobes is still controversial. We analyzed our surgical results and the prognostic factors with the findings of other studies and evaluated the surgical feasibility. Methods: Between January 1, 1983 and December 31, 2001, 1408 patients underwent operation for primary NSCLC, including 20 patients who received complete resections for multifocal NSCLC of the same histological type in ipsilateral different lobes. Results: The 1-, 2- and 5-year survival rate of the 20 patients were 60.0, 39.3 and 28.1%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in T-status, gender, pathological type, and stage. An excellent 5-year survival rate of 66. 7% (median, 101 months) in the group without node involvement was found (N0 vs. N1+2, P=0.0872). Conclusion: Our data suggest that surgical resection is mandatory in patients with ipsilateral multifocal NSCLC when there is no evidence of node metastasis.