Value of CT in the preoperative assessment of lung cancer: a survey of thoracic surgeons.
Practicing thoracic surgeons were randomly surveyed to evaluate how computed tomography (CT) has influenced the preoperative evaluation of bronchogenic carcinoma. Thirty-six percent of the 529 respondents routinely requested CT and 62% did so selectively. Approximately 40% indicated that CT provided useful information in most cases. Nearly all surgeons (98.7%) do not rely on the identification of enlarged lymph nodes with CT to spare the patient surgical staging; however, 77.5% are influenced by CT results in their staging procedures. Fifty-seven percent reported that a negative CT study eliminates surgical staging entirely unless the patient has a "coin lesion," in which case 75% are willing to proceed directly to thoracotomy. For surgeons who use CT selectively, an abnormal mediastinal contour on the radiograph was the most frequent radiologic abnormality to prompt CT (85%). Thirty-seven percent are influenced by tumor histology in their decision to request CT. There was little difference in the pattern of CT use between university and community hospital surgeons.
D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013903:Thoracic Surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed