Pathological Pleural Invasion is a Risk Factor for Late Recurrence in Long-Term Survivors of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer after Complete Resection

Information regarding late recurrence after pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is limited. This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for late recurrence after surgery for NSCLC in the current era. We conducted a retrospective study of patients who underwent complete resection for pathological I–III NSCLC between 2006 and 2015. Late recurrence was defined as a recurrence that met the following conditions: (1) the patient underwent chest computed tomography (CT) at or after 54 months after surgery and recurrence was not detected at that time, and (2) recurrence that occurred more than 5 years after surgery. The factors influencing late recurrence, relapse-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) after surgery were analyzed. A total of 1275 with 5-year relapse-free survival after surgery were enrolled in this study. The mean age of the patients was 66.4 years and 54