title: Survival of patients after resection for lung cancer. Predictive value of staging by CT vs thoracotomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The predictive value of staging of primary lung cancer by CT and thoracotomy with respect to survival was assessed in a series of 151 consecutive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The new international staging system for lung cancer was used, with an additional indeterminate stage employed for cases in which a definite classification was impossible by CT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survival rate curves for the stage groups assessed at CT and thoracotomy showed moderate to good parallelism. The patients with tumor stage I at thoracotomy but indeterminate or IIIa at CT had a significantly lower survival rate than those scored stage I at both. It was concluded that a sign of tumor spread obtained at any of the investigations should lead to an active approach, increasing the radicality of surgery or omitting noncurative operations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Central Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lähde
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rainio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bloigu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed