OBJECTIVETo verify the outcome and long-term survival of surgical management for double primary lung cancers.

METHODSThe clinical data of 98 patients with double primary lung cancers admitted between January 1999 and June 2009 was analyzed retrospectively. There were 72 cases of synchronous double primary lung cancers, including 54 males and 18 females with median age of onset of 66 years (37 to 79 years). Thoracic surgical procedures for 144 tumor lesions included lobectomy for 9 cases, bilobectomy for 14 cases, pneumonectomy for 6 cases, lobectomy plus wedge resection for 33 cases, double wedge resection for 9 cases, and bilobectomy plus wedge resection for 1 case. There were 26 cases of metachronous double primary lung cancers, including 20 males and 6 females. The median age for the first primary cancer was 59.5 years (38 to 73 years), for second primary cancer was 66 years (47 to 77 years). Thoracic surgical procedures for 52 tumor lesions included lobectomy for 31 cases, bilobectomy for 1 cases, wedge resection for 10 cases, and pneumonectomy for 8 cases.

RESULTSThe overall 30-day mortality was 0. Postoperative complications rate was 13.3%. All patients were followed up after the operation. Until December 2009, follow-up rate was over 90%. Five-year survival for all the patients from the time of initial diagnosis of cancer was 66.4%. Five-year survival for patients with metachronous and synchronous disease from the time of initial diagnosis of cancer was 96.2% and 43.0% (P = 0.000), respectively. Survival at 5 years for the second cancer of metachronous disease and synchronous disease was 45.9% and 43.0% (P = 0.634), respectively.

CONCLUSIONSurgical treatment for double primary lung cancer is reasonable, and the patients can make long-term survival.