title: Systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy or mediastinal lymph node sampling in patients with pathological stage I NSCLC: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the evidence comparing systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy (SML) and mediastinal lymph node sampling (MLS) in the treatment of pathological stage I NSCLC using meta-analytical techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search was undertaken until January 2014 to identify the comparative studies evaluating 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates. The pooled odds ratios (OR) and the 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) were calculated with either the fixed or random effect models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One RCT study and four retrospective studies were included in our meta-analysis. These studies included a total of 711 patients: 317 treated with SML, and 394 treated with MLS. The SML and the MLS did not demonstrate a significant difference in the 1-year survival rate. There were significant statistical differences between the 3-year (P = 0.03) and 5-year survival rates (P = 0.004), which favored SML.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis suggests that in pathological stage I NSCLC, the MLS can get the similar outcome to the SML in terms of 1-year survival rate. However, the SML is superior to MLS in terms of 3- and 5-year survival rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China, dsycmu@163.com.
authors.forename: Siyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Wenya
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shuguang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xinwen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000401:mortality*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008482:Mediastinum; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015996:Survival Rate