Video assisted thoracic surgery vs. thoracotomy for locally advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Background Surgery is an important part of multidisciplinary treatment strategy for locally advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), but insufficient evidence supports the feasibility and safety of video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced LSCC. This study aims to compare perioperative data and long-term survival of locally advanced LSCC patients between VATS and thoracotomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods We retrospectively collected the clinical and pathological information of patients with locally advanced LSCC who underwent surgical resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy from October 2013 to October 2017. All patients were divided into two groups (thoracotomy and VATS) and were compared the differences in perioperative, oncological and survival outcomes. Results A total of 81 patients were analyzed in this study (67 thoracotomy and 14 VATS). VATS provided less postoperative pain ( P = 0.005) and produced less volume of chest drainage ( P = 0.019) than thoracotomy, but the number of resected lymph nodes was less in VATS group ( P = 0.011). However, there was no significant difference in the number of resected lymph node stations and the rate of nodal upstaging between two groups. The mean disease free survival (DFS) was 32.7 ± 2.7 months for the thoracotomy group and 31.8 ± 3.0 months for the VATS group ( P = 0.335); the corresponding overall survival (OS) was 41.7 ± 2.2 months and 36.4 ± 4.1 months ( P = 0.925). Conclusion In selected patients with locally advanced LSCC, VATS played a positive role in postoperative recovery and associated similar survival outcome compared with thoracotomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.