Comparison of local therapy in patients with lung oligo-recurrence of non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The effectiveness of local therapy has been reported in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with oligo-recurrence. However, there is still no clear consensus on the choice of local therapy. We aimed to examine the choice of local therapy in NSCLC patients with lung oligo-recurrence. METHODS Among 1760 consecutive NSCLC patients who underwent complete resection between 1990 and 2008, 535 patients developed recurrence. Lung oligo-recurrence was defined as 1-5 metachronous recurrences limited to the lungs only; such recurrence was found in 97 patients. We examined the differences in the prognosis of each therapy for these patients. RESULTS The 5-year postrecurrence survival (PRS) rates in patients who underwent local therapy (n = 54) and those who did not (n = 43) were 55.6% and 31.1%, respectively; it was significantly higher in patients who underwent local therapy (p = 0.004). Among 47 patients who underwent resection or radiation therapy, the 5-year PRS rates were 61.5% and 47.6% (p = 0.258), and the 5-year postrecurrence progression-free survival rates were 30.3% and 24.7% (p = 0.665), respectively, without any significant difference. CONCLUSIONS Patients with lung oligo-recurrence should consider local therapy individually, depending on their general condition.