VATS anatomic resections for lung cancer: insights from the Italian VATS Group

Background: The VATS Group and the National Register for VATS Lobectomy were set up in 2013. Both quality and quantity of collected data within the database are two fundamental tools for scientific and statistical purposes, similar to other important databases, such as the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) Database, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD) and the Danish Lung Cancer Registry (DLCR). Methods: Four thousand seven hundred and four VATS lobectomy patients have recruited to date. Several parameters were recorded, such as preoperative clinical condition, surgical treatment as far as technical details, postoperative course and follow-up. Results: The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status was 0.27. Uniportal approach was used in 332 patients, three-portal approach in 3,825 and bi-portal approach in 547. Lymphadenectomy was performed in 4,704 patients: a sampling nodal dissection in 1,180 patients and a radical nodal dissection in 3,524 cases. Conversion rate was in 9.99% of cases. Adenocarcinoma is the most common histologic type (53.34%), followed by squamous carcinoma (15.53%). Conclusions: The structure of the Italian Registry of VATS Lobectomy makes it a valid source to draw on for statistical studies for scientific purposes.