A case series of pulmonary resection for metastatic colorectal cancer in a UK regional thoracic center

ABSTRACT  Pulmonary metastasectomy has become an established mode of therapy in the management of certain patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. All patients undergoing pulmonary resection for metastatic colorectal cancer between March 2008 and February 2014 were studied. 190 patients were identified. Most had a single metastasis (83%); 17% had multiple lesions (maximum: 4). The approach was thoracotomy in 92 and VATS in 98. 67% underwent wedge resection and 33% lobectomy. The size of the resected lesions was 8–110 mm (median: 24). 13% of patients underwent more than one procedure (maximum: 4); 8% had prior hepatic metastasectomy. There was no operative mortality. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival was 92, 87 and 82%, respectively. Guidelines for referral and follow-up of these patients should be developed.