Routine mediastinoscopy for clinical stage i lung cancer

Abstract

Cervical mediastinoscopy is a widely used procedure in the invasive staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). lung cancer (NSCLC). It is a safe invasive diagnostic procedure that has been shown to have a morbidity rate of 1.7%, a mortality rate of 0.07%, and an emergency thoracotomy rate of 0.12%. Most commonly, it is done after noninvasive staging modalities have demonstrated no advanced disease, and is the final step in the determination of the benefit of surgical resection. Mediastinoscopy policies differ among countries, institutions, and surgeons, but generally it is done either selectively or routinely. selectively or routinely. There is a strong consensus for performing this in patients with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, but there is less than widespread acceptance for performing it in the setting of normal-sized nodes. © 2007 Springer-Verlag London Limited.