Background & objective: Whether to apply routine mediastinoscopy to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of stage I remains controversial. This study was to evaluate application of cervical mediastinoscopy in detecting mediastinal lymph nodes status of NSCLC of stage I.
Methods: The cervical mediastinoscopy was performed in 31 patients with NSCLC of stage I prior to thoracotomy from Oct. 2000 to Feb. 2004. Mediastinoscopy-positive (stage N2) patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Results: Of the 31 patients, 2 had disease of stage N2, and 1 had disease of stage N3 (right scalenus lymph node metastasis); positive rate of mediastinosopy was 10% (3/31), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of mediastinoscopy were 75%, 100%, and 97%, respectively.
Conclusion: Mediastinoscopy might be a routine examination for patients with NSCLC of stage I.