Primary sarcoma of the lung: a clinical study with long-term follow-up

Ann Thorac Surg. 1994 Oct;58(4):1151-5. doi: 10.1016/0003-4975(94)90476-6.

Abstract

Primary pulmonary sarcoma is an extremely rare tumor. In more than 30 years, only 22 patients with PPS were seen in our hospital; 18 patients (82%) underwent operation. Radical resection is the only curative treatment in patients with primary pulmonary sarcoma. All 4 patients (18%) who did not undergo operation died within 17 months. All 7 patients (32%) in whom no radical resection could be performed died between 10 months and 16 years after operation. Total resection of the tumor could be performed in 11 patients (50%). Of these, 7 are still alive (64%), and 1 patient died of an unrelated cause after 25 years (mean follow-up, 13.5 years). Histologic diagnosis in these patients was leiomyosarcoma in 4, malignant schwannoma in 2, and fibrosarcoma and undifferentiated sarcoma in 1 each. Median survival for all patients was 24 months. Actuarial 5-year survival was 44% for all patients. Small tumor diameter and low-grade malignancy are statistically significant favorable prognostic factors. No patient with grade 1 tumor died; the median survival was 60 months for grade 2 sarcomas, and 17 months for grade 3 sarcomas. No patient with a completely resected small primary pulmonary sarcoma had recurrence or metastasis.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms* / mortality
  • Lung Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sarcoma* / mortality
  • Sarcoma* / pathology
  • Sarcoma* / surgery
  • Survival Rate
  • Thoracotomy