title: Prognostic Impact of the Findings on Thin-Section Computed Tomography in Patients with Subcentimeter Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
abstract: Subcentimeter NSCLC is not always an early-stage disease despite its small tumor size. We investigated the prognostic impact of such cancers on the basis of the findings of thin-section computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  
  We evaluated the clinicopathological features and prognosis of 328 surgically resected clinical-N0 NSCLCs 1.0 cm or less in size. Consolidation-to-tumor ratio (CTR) was evaluated for all, and tumors were classified into three groups, namely, pure ground glass opacity (GGO) (CTR = 0 [n = 139]), part solid (0 < CTR < 1.0 [n = 123]), and pure solid (CTR = 1.0 [n = 66]).
  
  
  
  Pathological nodal involvement was observed in seven patients, with all cases found exclusively in pure solid subcentimeter NSCLC (10.9%). Furthermore, a multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of GGO was an independently significant clinical factor in overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (OS: p = 0.0340; RFS: p = 0.0018). Histological examination revealed that 134 of the 139 cases of pure GGO (97%), 99 of the 123 cases of part solid tumor (81%), and 16 of the 66 cases of pure solid tumor (25%) were lepidic predominant lung adenocarcinoma. Evaluation of the oncological outcomes on the basis of CTR revealed that 5-year OS and RFS rates were significantly better in patients with nonsolid tumors (OS and RFS = 100%) or part solid tumors (OS = 97.5% and RFS=94.9%), whereas the OS and RFS rates of patients with pure solid subcentimeter NSCLC were 87.6% and 79.3%, respectively (OS: p = 0.0015; RFS: p < 0.0001).
  
  
  
  The findings of thin-section CT are extremely important when considering the prognosis of subcentimeter NSCLC. Radiologically determined solid subcentimeter NSCLCs should be treated as invasive tumors regardless of their small size.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: ahattori@juntendo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Aritoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takamochi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shiaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Lung cancer; Prognosis; Radiological findings; Subcentimeter