SUVmax and Tumor Size Predict Surgical Outcome of Synchronous Multiple Primary Lung Cancers

To assess surgical outcomes in synchronous multiple primary lung cancer (SMPLC) and correlations with clinicopathological features and prognostic/predictive factors. We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with early-stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) between January 2006 and June 2012. In total, 564 patients with resectable NSCLC underwent a preoperative positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan followed by anatomic resection. We reviewed the clinical features of 35 SMPLC patients. Surgical outcomes, prognosis, and tumor imaging features were evaluated (median follow-up = 44 months). In total, 35 eligible SMPLC patients (6.21%) were identified (11 men [31%], 24 women [69%], mean age = 65 years]). The tumors were bilateral in 17 patients (49%) and in different lobes of the ipsilateral lung in 18 patients (51%). Most patients (26/35, 74%) had 2 primary tumors, and 26% (9/35) had more than 2 tumors (6 with 3 tumors; 3 with 4 tumors). The median size of the most advanced tumor was 3.0 cm (range 0.9–54). The median standard uptake value (SUV) of the largest tumor was 3.1 (range 1.0–13.3). The patients were treated as follows: 30 lobectomies, 2 sublobar resections, 2 sequential bilateral lobectomies, and 1 bi-lobectomy. Twenty-four patients (69%) received adjuvant therapy. The overall cumulative 5-year survival was 91.5% (median overall survival = 45.5 months). Patients with a reference tumor ≤ 3 cm and SUV ≤ 3.1 had an expected 5-year survival of 100%. Patients with a reference tumor > 3 cm and SUV > 3.1 had an expected 5-year survival rate of 53.3%. SMPLC patients can benefit from aggressive surgery. The size and SUVmax of the reference tumor may predict postoperative outcomes.