Preoperative Master's double two-step test may predict survival after lobectomy in patients with lung cancer.

Background: The Master's double two-step test (MDT), which is used to screen for coronary heart disease, is difficult for physically impaired patients to complete. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between the results of the MDT and prognosis after lung cancer surgery.

Methods: Between May 2004 and September 2019, 1,434 patients underwent complete resection for lung cancer at our hospital. Among them, 418 with pathological stage I disease who underwent lobectomy were evaluated. We defined patients who could accomplish the MDT as the complete MDT group and those who could not as the incomplete MDT group. Patients who could not perform the MDT due to physical problems were included in the incomplete MDT group. We explored the prognostic impact of the MDT results in these patients.

Results: Fifty-three patients (12.7%) were in the incomplete MDT group; compared with the complete MDT group, they were older and had poorer performance status and respiratory function. However, the incidence of postoperative complications and 90-day mortality did not differ significantly between groups. Multivariate analyses revealed that age (p < 0.001), Charlson comorbidity index (p = 0.013), incomplete MDT (p = 0.049) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level (p = 0.003) were prognostic factors for worse overall survival; age (p < 0.001) and incomplete MDT (p = 0.022) were prognostic factors for worse non-cancer-specific survival.

Conclusions: Although incomplete MDT was not associated with postoperative complications, 90-day mortality or cancer-specific survival, MDT results may be significantly associated with non-cancer-specific survival.