Abstract
Staging of patients with lung cancer provides accurate information on the extent of disease and guides the choice of treatment. Non-invasive imaging techniques are safe, however these imaging techniques have limited accuracy in detection of mediastinal lymph node metastases. The American College of Chest Physicians guidelines for lung cancer staging recommend that patients with abnormal lymph nodes on CT or PET, or centrally located tumors without mediastinal LNs, should undergo invasive staging. Mediastinal nodal sampling has traditionally been performed by cervical mediastinoscopy. However, with the development of endoscopic needle aspiration techniques such as endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) to guide transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), the diagnostic algorithm for lung cancer is changing.
Highlights
Staging of patients with lung cancer provides accurate information on the extent of disease and guides the choice of treatment
In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), surgical resection of the tumor is the treatment of choice in the absence of metastatic mediastinal lymph nodes (LN)
The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines for lung cancer staging recommend to limit the impact of false-positive and false-negative results, that patients with abnormal LNs on CT or PET, or centrally located tumors without mediastinal LNs, should undergo invasive staging [4]
Summary
Staging of patients with lung cancer provides accurate information on the extent of disease and guides the choice of treatment. Non-invasive imaging techniques are safe, these imaging techniques have limited accuracy in detection of mediastinal lymph node metastases. The American College of Chest Physicians guidelines for lung can cer staging recommend that patients with abnormal lymph nodes on CT or PET, or centrally located tumors without mediastinal LNs, should undergo invasive staging. CT and PET are safe, these imaging techniques have limited accuracy in detection of mediastinal LN metastases with positive predictive value (PPV) of only 56% to 79%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 83% to 93% [1] (Table I). The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines for lung cancer staging recommend to limit the impact of false-positive and false-negative results, that patients with abnormal LNs on CT or PET, or centrally located tumors without mediastinal LNs, should undergo invasive staging [4]. In this paper we will give an overview of the possible staging techniques for invasive mediastinal staging
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
