Journal of Clinical and Experimental Investigations

Abstract

Objective: In our study, we reviewed the survival of patients operated for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and had positive inferior mediastinal lymph nodes that couldn't be staged with mediastinoscopy prior to surgery in comparison to other mediastinal lymph node involvement, the localization of tumors that metastasize to inferior mediastinal lymph nodes.
Methods: 487 cases operated for NSCLC were reviewed retrospectively. The predominant localization of the tumors with inferior mediastinal lymph node involvement was investigated.
Results: Among the cases that were completely resected, 56 cases were reported to be pathologically mediastinal lymph node involvement. Among these patients, there were 36 patients with inferior mediastinal lymph node involvement, the survival of which were compared to the survival of patients with involvement in other mediastinal lymph node stations involvement. The patients with inferior mediastinal lymph node involvement had a mean survival time of 41.72 months, 5 years survival rate of 36.1%. When compared to other patients N2 involvement, survival was better in inferior mediastinal lymph node involvement, although the difference was not statistically significant. The tumor localization that metastasizes most frequently to the inferior mediastinal lymph nodes are the lower lobes. Compared to the upper lobes the difference is statistically significant.
Conclusion: In tumors of the lower lobes, there are benefits to invasive and non-invasive staging of inferior mediastinal lymph nodes in terms of patient survival. Further studies with large case series are needed.