Pulmonary metastasectomy and repeat metastasectomy for colorectal pulmonary metastases: outcomes from the Dutch Lung Cancer Audit for Surgery.

Background: Surgical resection of recurrent pulmonary metastases in patients with colorectal cancer is an established treatment option; however, the evidence for repeat resection is limited. The aim of this study was to analyse long-term outcomes from the Dutch Lung Cancer Audit for Surgery.

Methods: Data from the mandatory Dutch Lung Cancer Audit for Surgery were used to analyse all patients after metastasectomy or repeat metastasectomy for colorectal pulmonary metastases from January 2012 to December 2019 in the Netherlands. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to determine the difference in survival. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of survival.

Results: A total of 1237 patients met the inclusion criteria, of which 127 patients underwent repeat metastasectomy. Five-year overall survival was 53 per cent after pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal pulmonary metastases and 52 per cent after repeat metastasectomy (P = 0.852). The median follow-up was 42 (range 0-285) months. More patients experienced postoperative complications after repeat metastasectomy compared with the first metastasectomy (18.1 per cent versus 11.6 per cent respectively; P = 0.033). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status greater than or equal to 1 (HR 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 1.08 to 1.65; P = 0.008), multiple metastases (HR 1.30, 95 per cent c.i. 1.01 to 1.67; P = 0.038), and bilateral metastases (HR 1.50, 95 per cent c.i. 1.01 to 2.22; P = 0.045) were prognostic factors on multivariable analysis for pulmonary metastasectomy. Diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide less than 80 per cent (HR 1.04, 95 per cent c.i. 1.01 to 1.06; P = 0.004) was the only prognostic factor on multivariable analysis for repeat metastasectomy.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that patients with colorectal pulmonary metastases have comparable median and 5-year overall survival rates after primary or recurrent pulmonary metastasectomy. However, repeat metastasectomy has a higher risk of postoperative complications.