[Impact of a rescue program on the operability of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Objective: Bronchogenic carcinoma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are strongly associated in our setting, occurring together in around 70% of cases. Approximately 60% of COPD patients who require resection for bronchogenic carcinoma are considered unfit for surgery because of seriously impaired lung function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent to which a rescue program could improve lung function in COPD patients who had previously been considered unfit for surgery because of poor lung function.