Surgical treatment of small cell lung cancer.

From 1970 till 1989, 30 patients underwent surgical resection for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The 5-year survival in stage I patients was 31%, in stage II 17% and in stage III the projected 5-year survival was 9%. Among N2 patients there were only 25% survivors after 1 year and none after 2 years. The first group of 15 patients (1970-1979) received no adjuvant chemotherapy in contrast to the second group of 15 patients (1980-1989). The overall 5-year survival for the first group was 13% and the estimated 5-year survival for the second group was 27%. In stage I SCLC, the 5-year survival was 12% and 60%, respectively. These results confirm that surgery may lead to long-term survival in stage I and possibly stage II SCLC, with better prognosis in stage I when adjuvant chemotherapy is added.