Extended cervical mediastinoscopy: mature results of a clinical protocol for staging bronchogenic carcinoma of the left lung.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of extended cervical mediastinoscopy (ECM) in the staging of bronchogenic carcinoma (BC) of the left lung based on our updated experience. METHODS From 1998 to 2003, 89 patients underwent routine ECM for staging of BC of the left lung. In 2004, routine positron emission tomography (PET) was included in our staging protocol and ECM was reserved for those with positive mediastinal or hilar PET images, large lymph nodes on computed tomography (CT) scan or central tumours. Following this protocol, from 2004 to 2010, we performed 132 selective ECM. ECM was considered positive when metastatic nodes or tumour involvement directly in the subaortic or para-aortic regions was confirmed pathologically. Patients with negative ECM underwent subsequent thoracotomy for tumour resection and systematic nodal dissection (SND). RESULTS Two hundred and twenty-one ECMs were performed from 1998 to 2010 (89 routine and 132 selective). In the routine ECM protocol, four cases were positive and thoracotomy was contraindicated. The remaining 85 patients were operated and five had nodal disease in subaortic (LN5) or para-aortic (LN6) stations. In the selective ECM protocol (n = 188), 132 patients underwent ECM and in 19 it was positive; the remaining 113 patients underwent thoracotomy and SND found involved LN5 or LN6 in six patients; the other 56 patients underwent direct thoracotomy and four had positive LN5 or LN6. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of ECM were 0.67, 1, 1, 0.94 and 0.95, respectively. The staging values of routine/selective ECM protocols were 0.44/0.65, 1/1, 1/1, 0.94/0.94 and 0.94/0.95, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Selective ECM protocol according to CT and PET findings has high negative predictive value and accuracy. Therefore, its selective use is recommended because it saves around 30% ECM without decreasing staging values of the current protocol.