Relationship between intraoperative pleural lavage cytology and recurrence in pleural cavity after resection of lung metastasis from colorectal cancer

Abstract Seventeen patients with lung metastases from colorectal cancer underwent intraoperative pleural lavage cytology immediately after thoracotomy from August 1988 to December 1994. Patients with pleural effusion and/or dissemination were excluded. The median followup period was 34 months (range 3-52 months). Of the 17 patients, 13 were cytologically negative (76%, group A) and 4 were positive (24% group B). Recurrence rate in the pleural cavity was 25% (1/4) in group B and 0% (0/13) in group A. The three-year survival rate was 0% in group B and 78% in group A, respectively. These results indicate that intraoperative pleural lavage cytology is useful in the assessment of prognosis, and locoregional therapy should be considered for cytology positive group.