title: Retrospective analysis of nodal spread patterns according to tumor location in pathological N2 non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of the present study was to determine the nodal spread patterns of pN2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) according to tumor location, and to attempt to evaluate the possible indications of selective lymph node dissection (SLND).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed nodal spread patterns in 207 patients with NSCLC of less than 5 cm with N2 involvement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tumor location was right upper lobe (RUL) in 79, middle lobe in 12, right lower lobe (RLL) in 40, left upper division (LUD) in 41, lingular division in 11, and left lower lobe (LLL) in 24. Both RUL and LUD tumors showed a higher incidence of upper mediastinal (UM) involvement (96 and 100%, respectively) and a lower incidence of subcarinal involvement (15 and 10%, respectively) than lower lobe tumors (UM; RLL 60%, LLL 42%; subcarinal: RLL 60%, LLL 46%, respectively). Among the patients with 24 right UM-positive RLL and 10 left UM-positive LLL tumors, 2 showed negative hilar, subcarinal, and lower mediastinal involvement, and cT1, suggesting that UM dissection may be unnecessary in lower lobe tumors with no metastasis to hilar, subcarinal, and lower mediastinal nodes on frozen sections according to the preoperative T status. Among the patients with 12 subcarinal-positive RUL and 4 subcarinal-positive LUD tumors, one showed negative hilar or UM involvement, suggesting that subcarinal dissection may be unnecessary in RUL or LUD tumors with no metastasis to hilar and UM nodes on frozen sections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study appears to provide one of the supportive results regarding the treatment strategies for tumor location-specific SLND.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, 6-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan. zenkyu@za3.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saji
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kakihana
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Jitsuo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Usuda
authors.forename: Naohiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kajiwara
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohira
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008482:Mediastinum; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D012189:Retrospective Studies