Survival and Recurrence Following Wedge Resection Versus Lobectomy for Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

To determine if wedge resection is equivalent to lobectomy for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and to evaluate the impact of radiologic and pathologic variables not available in large national databases. Records were reviewed from 2010 to 2016 for patients with pathologic Stage I NSCLC who underwent wedge resection or lobectomy. Propensity score matching was performed on pre-operative variables and patients with ≥1 lymph node removed. Clinical variables were compared. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models for 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-free (DFS), and locoregional-recurrence-free survival (LRFS) were created. A total of 1086 patients met inclusion criteria; 391 lobectomies and 695 wedge resections. Propensity score matching yielded 167 pairs of lobectomy and wedge resection patients. Complications were fewer for wedge resections than lobectomies, 19.2% for wedge resection patients vs 34.1% for lobectomy patients, p<0.01. OS was equivalent between groups, 86.2% for lobectomy patients vs 83.4% for wedge resection patients p=0.47. DFS was similar, 79.0% for lobectomy patients vs 72.5% for wedge resection patients p=0.10. Overall LRFS was worse in wedge resection patients vs lobectomy patients, 82.0% vs 93.4% p<0.01. However, in the matched wedge resection patients with a margin >10mm the LRFS was equal to that of lobectomy patients, 86.4% for wedge resection patients vs 91.8% for lobectomy patients p=0.140. Patients with Stage I NSCLC can experience similar OS, DFS, and LRFS with wedge resection as compared to lobectomy, when wedge resection margins are >10mm and appropriate lymph node dissection is performed.