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Background: The majority of previous studies of the clinical outcome of video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) versus open lobectomy for pathological N2 non‐small cell lung cancer (pN2 NSCLC) have been single‐center experiences with small patient numbers. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate these procedures but in a large cohort of Chinese patients with pathological N2 NSCLC in real‐world conditions. Methods: Patients who underwent lobectomy for pN2 NSCLC by either VATS or thoracotomy were retrospectively reviewed from 10 tertiary hospitals between January 2014 and September 2017. Perioperative outcomes and overall survival of the patients were analyzed. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify potential prognostic factors. Propensity‐score analysis was performed to reduce cofounding biases and compare the clinical outcomes between both groups. Results: Among 2144 pN2 NSCLC, 1244 patients were managed by VATS and 900 by open procedure. A total of 305 (24.5%) and 344 patients died during VATS and the thoracotomy group during a median follow‐up of 16.7 and 15.6 months, respectively. VATS lobectomy patients had better overall survival when compared with those undergoing the open procedure (P < 0.0001). Multivariate COX regression analysis showed VATS lobectomy independently favored overall survival (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.621–0.896, P = 0.0017). Better perioperative outcomes, including less blood loss, shorter drainage time and hospital stay, were also observed in patients undergoing VATS lobectomy (P < 0.05). After propensity‐score matching, 169 patients in each group were analyzed, and no survival difference were found between the two groups. Less blood loss was observed in the VATS group, but there was a longer operation time. Conclusions: VATS lobectomy might be a feasible alternative to conventional open surgery for resectable pN2 NSCLC. Key points: Significant findings of the study: VATS lobectomy has comparative OS in pN2 NSCLC versus open procedure in resectable patients.What this study adds: VATS lobectomy might be feasible for pN2 NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Pleomorphic carcinoma is a rare epithelial malignant tumor. Because the clinical characteristics and behavior of the disease remain unclear, we investigated the clinicopathological findings and prognosis of 60 patients with pleomorphic carcinoma. Methods The clinicopathological characteristics of 60 cases of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma identified between 1999 and 2011 were studied. Of these, 55 patients had peripheral disease and five had central disease. The tumor size in all patients was 1-9.5 cm (mean, 5.8 ± 4.5 cm), while 30 had lesions with a diameter larger than 5 cm. All patients underwent pulmonary resection. Results There were no in-hospital deaths. The three and five year survival rates of all patients were 47.2% and 25.6%, respectively. The three and five year survival rates were 57.3% and 32.5% for N0 patients, and 25.4% and 17.1% for N1-2 patients, respectively. Overall survival was significantly different between the radical resection and incomplete resection groups. Multivariate Cox regression analyses of overall survival for all 60 patients indicated that radical resection ( P = 0.041), tumor node metastasis ( TNM) stage ( P = 0.044), and nodal status ( P = 0.029) were significant independent prognostic factors. Conclusion Pleomorphic carcinoma is a rare type of lung cancer. In our study, pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung was often found as a peripherally located large mass and was associated with a poor prognosis. Radical resection, TNM stage and nodal status were significant independent prognostic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]