Characterization of Patients Operated on for Pulmonary Cancer at Manuel Ascunce Domenech Pulmonary Cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Surgery is the treatment of choice that offers cure to a group of patients affected by pulmonary cancer; yet five-year overall survival for all stages remains low.

Objective: To characterize the patients operated on for pulmonary cancer in the period from March 1, 2015 to August 1, 2020.

Methods: An observational, retrospective and cross-sectional study was carried out to describe the behavior of surgical morbidity and mortality since March 2015 and August 2020 in patients with pulmonary cancer at Manuel Ascunce Domenech University Provincial Hospital in Camagüey City. The study universe was made up of 211 patients operated on with a diagnosis of pulmonary cancer.

Results: There was a predominance of the age 61-70 years and the male sex. Adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma were the most frequent histological diagnoses. Right upper lobectomy was the most frequently performed resection, as well as some type of mediastinal lymphadenectomy, performed in more than half of the cases. The most frequent complications were those related to air leakage. The death rate was low, with cardiovascular complications and pulmonary thromboembolism being the most frequent causes.

Conclusions: Surgery is the treatment of choice for pulmonary cancer in early stages, with low morbidity and mortality in patients who meet operability conditions.

Keywords: morbidity and mortality; diagnosis; lung cancer; complications.