Postoperative pulmonary function of patients with lung cancer and interstitial lung abnormalities

We investigated the impact of radiological interstitial lung abnormalities on the postoperative pulmonary functions of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

A total of 1191 patients with clinical stage IA non-small cell lung cancer who underwent lung resections and pulmonary function tests ≥ 6 months postoperatively were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative pulmonary function reduction rates were compared between patients with and without interstitial lung abnormalities and according to the radiological interstitial lung abnormality classifications. Surgical procedures were divided into wedge resection, 1–2 segment resection, and 3–5 segment resection groups.

No significant differences in postoperative pulmonary function reduction rates 6 months after wedge resection were observed between the interstitial lung abnormality [n = 202] and non-interstitial lung abnormality groups [n = 989] [vital capacity [VC]: 6.82% vs. 5.00%; forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1]: 7.05% vs. 7.14%]. After anatomical resection, these values were significantly lower in the interstitial lung abnormality group than in the non-interstitial lung abnormality group [VC: 1–2 segments, 12.50% vs. 9.93%; 3–5 segments, 17.42% vs. 14.23%; FEV1: 1–2 segments: 13.36% vs. 10.27%; 3–5 segments: 17.36% vs. 14.39%]. No significant differences in postoperative pulmonary function reduction rates according to the radiological interstitial lung abnormality classifications were observed.

The presence of interstitial lung abnormalities had a minimal effect on postoperative pulmonary functions after wedge resections; however, pulmonary functions significantly worsened after segmentectomy or lobectomy, regardless of the radiological interstitial lung abnormality classification in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.