Computer tomography and staging of bronchogenic carcinoma. Prospective study
Stolz, A.J.; Pipková, R.; Schützner, J.; Simonek, J.; Lischke, R.; Pafko, P.
Casopis Lekaru Ceskych 143(11): 752
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-7335 PMID: 15628570 Document Number: 583394
The aim of our study was to determine validity of computed tomography in staging of non-small cell lung cancer. Sixty-two patients with NSCLC were operated at our department between March and September 2003. Lymph nodes with the shortest diameter over 10 mm on CT were considered abnormal. Primary tumor was correctly determined by CT scans in 77 % of cases, lymph nodes involvement in 63 %. Stage of NSCLC was correct in 53% of all patients. Negative predictive value for N1 and N2 was 80 %, resp. 88 %. Even with improvement in CT technology, validity of CT in staging of NSCLC remains low. We consider that mediastinoscopy can be avoided in the presence of normal mediastinal CT findings due to high negative predicative value of nodal improvement.