Surgical treatment remains the best treatment modality for the chance of cure in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aims to investigate and report the results of surgically treated NSCLC over the last 5 years. One hundred and five patients who underwent lobectomy or pneumonectomy for NSCLC between January 1995 and October 2000 were retrospectively evaluated for their demographic and clinical features, postoperative complications and survival.

Of 105 patients, there were 98 (93%) male, with a mean age of 59.1±8.8 (range 37-75). Eighty two (78%) patients were treated with either lobectomy or bilobectomy while remaining 23 (22%) underwent pneumonectomy. Fifteen (14%) patients required extended resection. Total of 74 complications occurred in 47 (45%) and two patients (2%) died of respiratory failure in the early postoperative period. Histological types were squamous carcinoma (n=55), adenocarcinoma (n=37) and large cell carcinoma (n=13). Stage Ia, Ib and IIb diseases constituted 76% (n=80) of all cases. The mean follow up time was 27±19 (range 2-83) months; and median survival time was 33 months with an overall 5-year survival rate of 37%.

While presence of symptoms, poor differentiation and advanced stage adversely affected overall survival; younger age (<60), non-squamous histology and larger (>5 cm) tumour size were factors influencing rate of recurrence in this study. Therefore these factors should carefully be evaluated during both preoperative and postoperative periods. On the other hand, systematic lymph node dissection is necessary if accurate staging and complete resection are to be achieved.