Patient Outcomes for Lung Cancer

At Massachusetts General Hospital, we believe it's important to provide safe and effective care. The Department of Surgery tracks many performance measures and compares them to national data including:

• Pulmonary Resection Outcomes
• Patient Ratings of Thoracic Surgeons
• Lobectomy for Lung Cancer Outcomes

Pulmonary Resection Outcomes

Mass General's outcomes are as expected, given the high number of very ill and extremely complex patients we serve, as compared to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) norms. Lower percentages are better.

At Mass General, patient safety is a priority. We have higher-acuity patients who arrive with severe illnesses and complex problems. Other hospitals and doctors send us their most difficult cases.

The following chart shows the Pulmonary Resection Outcomes from July 2016 to June 2019. 7.4% is the Mass General rate for combined morbidity/mortality following pulmonary resection. 7.7% is the national rate. 1.0% is the Mass General rate for mortality following pulmonary resection. 1.1% is the national rate. 7.1% is the Mass General rate for morbitidy following pulmonary resection. 7.3% is the national rate.

Mass General data: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database
Data period: July 2016 - June 2019
Morbidity [complications] includes: Pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), bronchopleural fistula, pulmonary embolus, being on a machine to assist breathing for more than 48 hours, reintubation, tracheostomy, myocardial infarction, bleeding requiring reoperation
Mortality [death] includes: Discharge and 30-day mortality

Patient Ratings of Thoracic Surgeons

Patients give high ratings to Mass General thoracic surgeons.

Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPHS) surveys ask patients to report on and evaluate their experiences with health care. In recent ratings, our surgeons have rated very high relative to the national average, compared to national patient ratings of all doctors.

The following chart shows the Patient Ratings of Thoracic Surgeons from January to December 2019. 91% of patients would rate Mass General doctors a 9 or 10 out of 10. 80% is the national rate. 94% of patients would definitely recommend a Mass General doctor. 76% is the national rate.

Mass General data: Quality Data Management (QDM), CAHPS Clinician and Groups Patient Survey
Data period: January - December 2019

Lobectomy for Lung Cancer Outcomes

Mass General's outcomes are as expected, given the high number of very ill and extremely complex patients we serve, as compared to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) norms. Lower percentages are better.

At Mass General, we have higher acuity patients who arrive with severe illnesses and complex problems. Other hospitals and doctors send us their most difficult cases. Our rates of complication from lobectomy for lung cancer are relatively low. We also performed 77% of our stage 1 lung cancer operations with a minimally invasive technique (VATS lobectomy).

The following chart shows the Lobectomy for Lung Cancer Outcomes from July 2016 to June 2019. 1.1% is the Mass General mortality rate following lobectomy for lung cancer. 1.1% is the national rate. 7.8% is the Mass General major complication rate lobectomy for lung cancer. 7.9% is the national rate. 98.1% is the Mass General overall composite score. 98.1% is the national rate.

Mass General data: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database
Data period: July 2016 - June 2019
Morbidity [complications] include: Pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), bronchopleural fistula, pulmonary embolus, being on a machine to assist breathing for more than 48 hours, reintubation, tracheostomy, myocardial infarction, bleeding requiring reoperation
Mortality [death] includes: Discharge and 30-day mortality

Lobectomy for Lung Cancer Case Volumes

Mass General's lung resection volumes greatly exceed the recommended minimum standard of 40 cases per year. Higher volumes mean more experience. Higher volumes mean more experience.

Mass General performs a large number of major thoracic surgery procedures. Hospitals that perform higher numbers of lobectomy procedures have better outcomes. Mass General performs a large number of lobectomy procedures when compared to the national average of hospitals performing the procedure.

The following chart shows the Lobectomy for Lung Cancer Case Volumes from January to December 2019. Mass General performed 339 total cases. The national rate is 55.

Mass General data: Mass General Hospital and Vizient, formerly University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC)
Data period: January - December 2019

Lobectomy for Lung Cancer Outcomes—In-Hospital Mortality

Mass General's outcomes are better than the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Lower percentages are better.

At Mass General, patient safety is a priority. Our rate of mortality (death) from lobectomy for lung cancer is lower than the STS and NIS databases. We also performed 77% of our Stage 1 cancer operations with minimally invasive technique (VATS lobectomy).

The following chart shows the Lobectomy for Lung Cancer Outcomes—In-Hospital Mortality from July 2016 to June 2019. 0.4% is the Mass General rate of mortality (death) from lobectomy for lung cancer. 0.6% is the Society of Thoracic Surgeons rate. 1.3% is the national inpatient sample.

Mass General data: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database
National inpatient sample: Average national benchmark which includes general surgeons
Morbidity [complications] include: Pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), bronchopleural fistula, pulmonary embolus, being on a machine to assist breathing for more than 48 hours, reintubation, tracheostomy, myocardial infarction, unexpected return to operating room
Mortality [death] includes: Discharge and 30-day mortality
Data period: July 2016 - June 2019

Lobectomy for Lung Cancer Outcomes—Post-Operative Length of Stay

Mass General patients are able to leave the hospital at a rate similar to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) norms and sooner than the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Lower numbers are better.

At Mass General, patient safety is a priority. The postoperative length of stay for our patients is comparable to the STS database and shorter than the NIS database. We also performed 77% of our Stage 1 lung cancer operations with minimally invasive technique (VATS lobectomy).

The following chart shows the Lobectomy for Lung Cancer Outcomes—Post-Operative Length of Stay from July 2016 to June 2019. 4 days is the average length of stay following lobectomy for lung cancer at Mass General. 4 days is the Society of Thoracic Surgeons rate. 4.8 is the national inpatient sample.

Mass General data: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database
Data period: July 2016 - June 2019
Morbidity [complications] include: Pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), bronchopleural fistula, pulmonary embolus, being on a machine to assist breathing for more than 48 hours, reintubation, tracheostomy, myocardial infarction, unexpected return to operating room
Mortality [death] includes: Discharge and 30-day mortality