The effect of non-surgical treatments on surgical feasibility of patients with superior vena cava syndrome

Abstract

The aim of this study is to the effect of non-surgical treatments on surgical feasibility of patients with superior vena cava syndrome. Materials and Methods: This study was a case series descriptive analytical study and all patients with malignant superior vena cava who there are his records in Imam Reza Hospital of Tabriz in ten years ago, with a minimum sample size of 30 patients were included in the study. Gathering information through analysis of patient records and the information was recorded in a check list. After of categorization of information, patients that was under of non-surgical treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and stenting, was evaluated their impact on improvement, recurrent and the surgical potential of patients and the 3-year outcome of these patients was investigated. Results: In this study, 32 malignant patients with SVC were examined whose age range was 29 years to 78 years and their mean (SD) age was 54.56 years (±13.3) years. The most previous history of disease in this subjects was hypertension with 6 cases (18.8%). The most common diagnosis in this subjects was Lung malignancy with 14 cases (43.5%). The type of non-surgical intervention in these subjects was chemotherapy in 6 cases (18.8%), radiotherapy in 6 cases (18.8%) and stenting in 10 cases (31.4%). Improvement of symptoms after non-surgical intervention was observed in 8 cases (36.4%). The possibility of surgery after non-surgical intervention was not seen in any of them; however, recurrence of the disease after non-surgical intervention was observed in 2 cases (10.0%) of them, both of whom were prescribed continued radiotherapy. The type of surgical intervention in the subjects was total thyroidectomy in 2 cases (6.3%) and limited thoracotomy and biopsy in 2 cases (6.3%). Improvement of symptoms after surgery was observed in 2 cases (50.0%) of them. In total, 22 cases (68.6%) of the studied subjects died. Among all the variables related to the effects of non-surgical types of interventions in the studied subjects, including improvement of symptoms, possibility of surgery and recurrence of the disease, no statistically significant relationship was observed (P-value> 0.05).