Oncologic outcomes of segmentectomy compared with lobectomy for clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma: propensity score-matched analysis in a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to compare the oncologic outcomes of lobectomy and segmentectomy for clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma.

METHODS: We examined 481 of 618 consecutive patients with clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma who underwent lobectomy or segmentectomy after preoperative high-resolution computed tomography and F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Patients (n = 137) who underwent wedge resection were excluded. Lobectomy (n = 383) and segmentectomy (n = 98) as well as surgical results were analyzed for all patients and their propensity score-matched pairs.

RESULTS: Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were not significantly different between patients undergoing lobectomy (3-year RFS, 87.3%; 3-year OS, 94.1%) and segmentectomy (3-year RFS, 91.4%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-1.20; P = .14; 3-year OS, 96.9%; HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.17-1.38; P = .18). Significant differences in clinical factors such as solid tumor size (P < .001), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) (P < .001), and tumor location (side, P = .005; lobe, P = .001) were observed between both treatment groups. In 81 propensity score-matched pairs including variables such as age, gender, solid tumor size, SUVmax, side, and lobe, RFS and OS were similar between patients undergoing lobectomy (3-year RFS, 92.9%, 3-year OS, 93.2%) and segmentectomy (3-year RFS, 90.9%; 3-year OS, 95.7%).

CONCLUSIONS: Segmentectomy is suitable for clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma, with survivals equivalent to those of standard lobectomy.