Invasion of visceral pleural - 1268016

lablady
Posts:24

What are the implications of invasion of the visceral pleural in stage 1b lung cancer on the prognosis of the patient?

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catdander
Posts:

I couldn't get the chart posted but you can find it here, "Finally, another factor to consider is the involvement of the visceral pleura, the lining on the outside of the lung. This is reflected in the staging system, since even a smaller tumor that measures less than 3 cm becomes a stage IB NSCLC if it involves the visceral pleura. Here’s a survival curve from a series of stage I cancers that shows the difference in survival between those patients who had or did not have visceral pleural invasion (sometimes abbreviated VPI)(abstract here):"

http://cancergrace.org/lung/2007/10/02/factors-for-adj-chemo-in-borderl…

I hope this helps,
Janine

Dr West
Posts: 4735

All other factors being equal, having visceral pleural invasion is associated with a little higher risk of recurrence, but overall, it isn't a major factor that substantially changes treatment recommendations.

Good luck.

-Dr. West