title: Accuracy of computed tomographic scan and surgical assessment for staging of bronchial carcinoma. A prospective study.
abstract: There is an increasing demand for accurate preoperative and intraoperative staging of bronchial carcinoma with respect to neoadjuvant therapy protocols and parenchyma-sparing operations. This study prospectively evaluated accuracy of computed tomographic scan and surgical assessment for staging of bronchial carcinoma in 108 consecutive patients. The stage of the primary tumor (T stage) was correctly determined in 85% of the patients, and surgical evaluation correctly determined the T stage in 92%. Invasion of major mediastinal structures posed a major problem for computed tomographic scan. On a node-by-node basis, computed tomographic scan predicted involvement of lymph nodes in 81% (sensitivity 29%, specificity 93%, positive predictive value 49%, negative predictive value 85%). The surgeon correctly determined the lymph node status in 69% of lymph nodes (sensitivity 90%, specificity 63%, positive predictive value 39%, negative predictive value 96%). On a patient-by-patient basis, computed tomographic scan correctly predicted the nodal status in 58% of patients. Accuracy of computed tomographic scan and surgical assessment in determination of the lymph node status strongly depended on tumor type and lymph node region (hilar or mediastinal region) studied. This was partly due to the fact that adenocarcinomas exhibited a high proportion of tumor-positive normal-sized lymph nodes, whereas squamous cell carcinomas showed a high proportion of enlarged tumor-free lymph nodes. In conclusion, computed tomographic scan and surgical assessment are sufficiently accurate for determination of the tumor stage but are insufficient in determining the nodal status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Izbicki
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Thetter
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karg
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kreusser
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Passlick
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trupka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Häussinger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Woeckel
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Kenn
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Wilker
mesh_terms: D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed