title: Long-term Outcomes of Patients With Ground-Glass Opacities Detected Using CT Scanning.
abstract: The long-term outcomes of follow-up care for ground-glass opacity (GGO) lesions need to be clarified.
  
  
  
  Between 2000 and 2005, a total of 226 patients with pure or mixed GGO lesions ≤ 3 cm in size were registered. The CT findings and changes in the findings during the follow-up period and the outcomes of the 226 patients were subsequently reviewed.
  
  
  
  Overall, 124 patients underwent resections, 57 did not receive follow-up examinations after 68 months because of stable disease or disease reduction, and 45 are continuing to receive follow-up examinations. Thirty-nine patients exhibited tumor growth during the follow-up period. Among the patients with a ratio of the diameter of consolidation relative to the tumor diameter (CTR) > 0, all cases with tumor growth were identified within 3 years; meanwhile, > 3 years were required to identify tumor growth in 16% of the patients with a CTR of 0. Aggressive cancer occurred in 4% of patients with a CTR of 0 and in 70% of patients with a CTR > 25%. Aggressive cancer was observed in 46% of the patients whose CTR increased during the follow-up period and in 8% of the patients whose tumors increased in size.
  
  
  
  A higher CTR and an increase in CTR during follow-up were associated with invasive cancer. A follow-up period of 3 years is considered to be adequate for judging tumor growth in patients with a CTR > 0, whereas a longer follow-up period might be needed for patients with a CTR of 0.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan. Electronic address: ssawada-ths@umin.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Biostatistics, National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryujiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Motohiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D065311:Adenocarcinoma in Situ / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D057832:Watchful Waiting; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: CT scan pulmonary; bronchioalveolar carcinoma; lung cancer; postoperative; thoracic surgery