Prognostic factors and survival after complete resection of pulmonary metastases from colorectal carcinoma: experiences in 167 patients

OBJECTIVE: Surgical resection is an important form of treatment for pulmonary metastases from colorectal carcinoma. We analyzed the clinical course, outcome, and prognostic factors after surgery. METHODS: Between 1985 and 2000, 167 patients (103 men, 64 women) underwent complete pulmonary resection of metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Only patients who met the criteria for potentially curative operation, in particular, control of the primary tumor, ability to resect all metastatic disease, and no other extrapulmonary metastases, were included. RESULTS: The overall 5-year survival was 32.4%. A significantly longer survival was observed in multivariate analysis in patients without lymph node involvement compared with patients with pulmonary or mediastinal lymph node metastases or both. The number of pulmonary metastases significantly influenced survival. In patients with a solitary metastasis, we observed a 5-year survival of 45%, whereas the rate was 19.8% in patients with more than a single metastasis. In multivariate analysis, we also found the prethoracotomy carcinoembryonic antigen serum level to be an independent significant prognostic factor for survival. In patients with a serum carcinoembryonic antigen level exceeding 5 ng/mL and in patients with a serum carcinoembryonic antigen level in the normal range, the 5-year survivals were 22.7% and 48.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that pulmonary resection of metastatic colorectal carcinoma is safe and results in long-term survival. Thoracic lymph node metastases, serum carcinoembryonic antigen level before metastasectomy, and the number of pulmonary metastases were identified as prognosis-related criteria for surgery.