Pulmonary resection in metastatic uterine and cervical malignancies

Objective. Although thoracotomy for removal of pulmonary metastasis is well documented in a wide variety of solid tumors, data are sparse regarding management of patients with gynecologic malignancies metastatic to the lung. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the Roswell Park Cancer Institute experience between 1982 and 1999. Of 82 eligible patients with gynecologic tumors metastatic and confined to the lung, 25 underwent pulmonary resection. Results. There were 60 uterine and 22 cervix cancer patients with pulmonary metastases. Among patients with uterine cancer primaries undergoing pulmonary resection (n = 19) median survival was 26 months. Uterine cancer patients who underwent surgical resection for leiomyosarcomas (n = 11) had a median survival of 25 months compared to 46 months in patients with adenocarcinoma (n = 6, P = 0.02). Median survival in cervix cancer patients undergoing resection for pulmonary metastases (n = 6) was 36 months. Conclusions. Pulmonary resection may provide a survival advantage for selected patients with uterine and cervical malignancies with metastases isolated to the lung. (C) 2001 Academic Press.