Primary pulmonary sarcoma – long-term treatment outcomes and prognostic factors

Introduction
Primary pulmonary sarcoma (PPS) is a rare type of non-epithelial malignant tumour of the lungs. Lung sarcomas are usually of metastatic character, originating from the primary tumour located in another organ. Pathomorphological diagnosis is difficult and therefore definitive diagnosis is usually determined after surgical treatment. Five-year survival of radical operated patients is 42–69%.

Aim
To evaluate prognostic factors in PPS.

Material and methods
Twenty-two patients who underwent surgical treatment between 1994 and 2009 were analysed.

Results
Ten types of sarcomas were identified. All 22 analysed patients underwent operations and in 14 (63.6%) cases it was R0 resection (pneumonectomies, lobectomies, non-anatomical resections). In 8 out of 22 patients a locally advanced form was identified. Median overall survival (OS) in the group of all patients was 22 months, 5- and 10-year OS was 27% and 18% respectively, whereas in patients who underwent non-anatomical lung resections it was 80% and 60% respectively with median OS of 213 months. Overall survival was dependent on gender, completeness of treatment and size of tumour. Haemoptysis was a poor prognostic factor. Primitive neuroectodermal tumour was a type of sarcoma with a negative effect on progression-free survival. No impact of age, type of sarcoma, degree of histological malignancy, stage or adjuvant treatment on OS was noted.

Conclusions
Primary radical surgical resection prolongs patient survival. Patients with tumours larger than 5 cm and men have worse prognoses. Future studies conducted on larger groups of patients diagnosed with PPS are necessary.