Survival of patients with small cell lung cancer undergoing lung resection in England, 1998–2009

Of nearly 360,000 pts in England diagnosed with a first primary lung cancer, outcomes were assessed for 465 patients who underwent resection for small cell cancer.  5-year survival was 45% for resected NSCLC, 31% for resected SCLC, and was 3% for patients who didn’t have resection.  Survival was better for patients who had a resection for known SCLC compared to those whose histologic diagnosis wasn’t made until after surgery.  The authors conclude that resection should be offered to selected patients with SCLC.