Background and objective: Postoperative lung function is closely related to the prognosis of lung cancer patients after lobectomy. This study was to explore the influence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on postoperative lung function in patients undergoing lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to assess the predictive value of lung perfusion scan for lung cancer patients with COPD before operation.
Methods: Clinical data of 65 NSCLC patients who underwent lobectomy were analyzed. Of the 65 patients, 25 had COPD (COPD group) and 40 had normal lung function (control group). The change of forced expiratory volume in 1st second (FEV1) after lobectomy and deference between postoperative FEV1 and preoperative predictive postoperative (ppo) FEV1 were compared between the two groups. For ten patients with COPD who had undergone lung perfusion scan before operation, ppo'FEV1 by lung perfusion scan and ppoFEV1 by equation were compared.
Results: The mean percent loss of FEV1 was less in COPD group than in control group (8.98% vs. 22.47%, P<0.05). The value of postoperative FEV1 minus ppoFEV1 and the ratio of postoperative FEV1 to ppoFEV1 were significantly higher in COPD group than in control group (6.90 vs. 0.83, P<0.05; 1.14 vs. 1.01, P<0.05). For the ten patients undergone lung perfusion scan, the mean value of ppo'FEV1 minus ppoFEV1 was 4.04%, with a 95% confidence interval of 3.01%-5.07%.
Conclusions: The mean loss of lung function after lobectomy is less in lung cancer patients with COPD than in patients with normal lung function. Lung perfusion scan before operation may help to predict postoperative lung function of lung cancer patients with COPD.