Pleural dissemination detected by computed tomography (CT) is considered to be unfavorable for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the prognosis of NSCLC patients who are diagnosed with pleural dissemination at the time of surgery has yet to be adequately elucidated. To assess the outcomes of platinum-based chemotherapy in NSCLC patients in whom pleural dissemination was detected during exploratory thoracotomy with or without a videoscope, the clinical records of NSCLC patients who were admitted to Shizuoka Cancer Center between September, 2002 and April, 2009 were reviewed. A total of 19 patients were included in this study, 12 males and 7 females, with a median age of 65 years. All patients were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and 6 were epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation-positive. The median number of treatment cycles of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy was 4 (range, 1-6 cycles) and the objective response rate was 21% [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.5-43]. The median progression-free and overall survival were 10.4 (95% CI: 6.3-18.4) and 50.5 months (95% CI: 32.5-98.0), respectively. Of the 18 patients with reported disease progression, 9 (50%) developed locoregional tumor progression. In conclusion, NSCLC patients in whom pleural dissemination is detected during surgery tend to have a favorable prognosis for survival. Systemic chemotherapy and additional local treatment may improve their clinical outcomes.
Keywords: chemotherapy; non-small-cell lung cancer; pleural dissemination; surgery; unresectable.