[The experience of surgical treatment of lung cancer during fifty years].
We have analyzed the results of surgical treatment of lung canced at Lithuanian Institute of Oncology in the course of fifty years. There were 1885 patients with lung cancer surgically treated at Lithuanian Institute of Oncology in the course of 50 years. There was a change in the tactics of the surgeons for surgical treatment in this long period. We have analyzed the following patients: 1) of 1950-1979 2) of 1980-1999. The last period was divided into two subgroups: a) 1980-1993 and b) 1994-1999. Four hundred ten patients were operated on in the first period, 785 - in 1980-1993 and 690 patients in 1994-1999. In the first period the most common operation was pneumonectomy, performed in 176 cases, bi-lobectomy - to 105 patients. In the second period: in a) subgroup 261 and 418 operations were performed and b) subgroup - 200 and 329 operations. Segmentectomy and wedge resection were rare: 16, 27, 26 cases in all periods. Thoracotomy was performed to 113 patients, in a) subgroup - 78, in b) subgroup -129. The biggest hospital mortality after pneumonectomy was: 12.5%,11.4% and 11% according to the periods. The mortality after lobectomy was low: 2.19%, 1.6% and 2.9%.The most serious surgical complications were bronchial fistula and pneumonia. The follow-up results were satisfactory in all the groups of early stages of the disease and moderate in III stage of the disease. In the twenty years lobectomy was the most common operation for surgical treatment of lung cancer. Bronchial fistula and pneumonia are the most serious complications after pneumonectomy. Adjuvant therapy (radiotherapy, chemotherapy) improve the results of treatment in stage IIB and stage IIIA of the disease.