Survival outcomes in patients with lung cancer following lung transplantation

Results from a retrospective, multicenter, French cohort study, evaluating the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of patients with lung cancer following lung transplantation, were published in The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation by Saing et al. The study included 7,313 lung transplant recipients, of whom 143 (2%) developed lung cancer after a median of 5.3 years. 

Key data: Median overall survival (OS) following lung cancer diagnosis was 13 months overall but varied markedly by stage, at 83, 16, 10, and 6 months for Stages I, II, III, and IV disease, respectively. Curative-intent surgery was performed in 42% of patients, with complete microscopic (R0) resection in 93% of evaluable patients (n = 57); median OS after resection was 65 months. Curative-intent radiotherapy was used in 22% of patients, with a median OS of 14 months and radiation-induced lung toxicity reported in 53% of evaluable patients (n = 30). Immunosuppressive regimens were modified in 88% of patients following diagnosis. 

Key learning: Survival outcomes in patients with lung cancer after lung transplantation vary substantially by stage, with early detection and curative-intent treatment associated with improved survival.