PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Hansen, Niels-Chr. G.
AU  - Knudsen, Anja Ør
TI  - Relapse after radical surgery for non-small cell lung cancer 2005-2009 – A retrospective quality management analysis
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 4676
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/4676.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/4676.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - National guidelines for post-therapy lung cancer care are about to be introduced in Denmark. At our hospital, “usual care” after radical surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has previously been to suggest the patient to have a chest x-ray once a year. To prepare improved post-therapy care we have made a retrospective analysis of the 986 consecutive patients from the primary uptake area reported by our diagnostic unit to the Danish Lung Cancer Registry in the 5-year period 2005–2009. Of the 792 patients with NSCLC 227 (28.7%) were treated with curative intent. Out of these 153 (19.2% of all with NSCLC) had intended radical resection of the primary tumor and if needed chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or resection of a single secondary tumor to assure a radical primary treatment. Median age for the 75 women and 78 men was 66 years (range 37 to 85 years). Clinical stages I, II, IIIa, and IIIB+IV were found in 122, 19, 5, and 7 patients. Two patients died at day 14 and day 31 after surgery. Among the 151 remaining patients, we have until February 22, 2011 recorded a relapse in 62 patients and a new lung cancer in three patients. In one patient, the cancer was found at post mortem examination, in 48 patients clinical symptoms lead to the diagnosis while a scheduled control by chest x-ray, CT, PET-CT, bronchoscopy, or blood tests lead to the diagnosis in 16 cases. Twenty-eight patients (18.5%) had a relapse within one year from surgery. Median time to relapse after a scheduled test was 288 days against 478 days in patients diagnosed after symptoms. Scheduled post-therapy control for all NSCLC patients may considerably shorten the time to detection of a relapse.