BACKGROUNDMost stage IIIB (T4/N3) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can not be cured via operation, but how is the outcome for those with T4 or occasionally N3 which can be completely resected? This paper retrospectively analyses the effects of the tumor characteristics and postoperative treatments on the survival of 51 patients with stage IIIB NSCLC completely resected in this hospital from January 1, 1997 to April 30, 2001.

METHODSThe effects of clinical pathophysiological characteristics such as gender, histological type, differentiation, T-stage and lymph node status and the postoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy on the prognosis of 51 patients with completely resected stage IIIB NSCLC were retrospectively analysed.

RESULTSThere were no statistic survival differences in the disease characteristics such as the different gender (Log rank=0.992, P=0.319), histological types (Log rank=1.263, P=0.260), differentiation (Log rank=1.104, P=0.577), T-stage (Log rank=0.106, P=0.588) and lymph node status (Log rank=1.297, P=0.731), also no difference between groups whether or not there was postoperative mediastinal radiotherapy (Log rank=0.482, P=0.488) or postoperative chemotherapy (Log rank=0.051, P=0.759).

CONCLUSIONSNeither the tumor characteristics such as gender, histological type, differentiation, T-stage and N-stage, nor the postoperative mediastinal radiotherapy or chemotherapy affect the survival of stage IIIB NSCLC with complete resection.