Poor results after surgery for bronchioloalveolar carcinoma

Background Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) is suggested to be less aggressive than other types of lung cancer. To assess the option of treatment modification, actual outcome data were studied and compared with results for other types of lung cancer. Method Retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients who underwent resection for stage I lung cancer in our hospital. For 18 BAC cases, histological specimens were re-evaluated and in three cases diagnosis was revised. Results In the period 1989 through 2000, 15 patients with BAC and 260 patients with other tumour types underwent surgery in our hospital. Five-year survival rates were 24 and 53%, respectively, (p=0.01). Conclusions Given the poor results after standard surgery, parenchyma-sparing operations do not seem justified in patients with invasive BAC.