Systemic Autoimmune Diseases & Lung Cancer

<bold>Objective:</bold> Systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs) are heterogeneous disorders caused by immune system dysregulation leading to the activation of immune cells against autoantigens and inappropriate inflammation and multi-tissue damage. Approximately 14–25% of patients with lung cancer have SADs. MATERIAL & METHOD: During a 10 year period 43 patients, ranging in age from 41-78 years were referred from the Department of Rheumatology to our department due to NSCLC stage I-II. The patients had a history of autoimmune disease such as erythematosus lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis or polyarteritis nodosa. A thorough examination with bronchoscopy, CT scan, echocardiogram, spirometry and MRI took place including PET although it was not diagnostic. All patients were immunosuppressed since they received steroid therapy with/without immunosuppressant agent for a long period preoperatively. <bold>Results:</bold> After MDT patients were led to surgery. Under general anaesthesia with double lumen tube and were submitted either to lobectomy or segmentectomy or even wedge resection with lymphadenectomy. Postoperatively, the majority of patients presented airleak due to corticosteroids needing a longer hospital stay. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant type. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> 1. Pulmonary resection for NSCLC patients with autoimmune disease(s) are safely performed. 2. The most common postoperative complication is prolonged airleak. 3. PET was not proved to be useful. 3. There were no difference in survival for NSCLC between patients with autoimmune diseases or without.