Comparison of lobe-specific mediastinal lymphadenectomy versus systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy for clinical stage T₁a N₀ M₀ non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE

This study was to explore the appropriate extent of mediastinal lymph node dissection for clinical stage T₁a N₀ M₀ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by comparison between two modes of mediastinal lymph node dissection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 96 clinical stage T₁a N₀ M₀ NSCLC cases received radical surgery were randomly divided to lobe-specific mediastinal lymphadenectomy (LL) group and systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy (SL) group from the year 2004 to 2008. The effects of SL and LL on morbidity, N staging, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were investigated. Meanwhile, associations between clinicopathological parameters and metastasis of lymph nodes were analyzed.

RESULTS

The mean operating time and blood loss in LL group were significantly less than that in the SL group (135.48 ± 25.44 min vs. 180.85 ± 39.36 min, 155.11 ± 25.17 ml vs. 161.32 ± 28.20 ml, P < 0.05), the mean numbers of dissected lymph nodes of the SL group was significantly greater than that in the LL group (17.1 ± 3.7 vs. 9.4 ± 2.1, P < 0.05). The post-operative overall morbidity rate was higher in the SL group than that in the LL group (P < 0.05). There were no significant difference in migration of N staging, OS and DFS between two groups. The post-operative N staging, the tumor cells differentiation and the ratio of ground glass opacity (GGO) in tumor were the independent factors influencing long-term survival. Moreover, the significant correlation was seen between the metastasis of lymph nodes and clinicopathological parameters including tumor location and the GGO ratio.

CONCLUSION

The LL group had similar efficacy as the SL group in the clinical stage T₁a N₀ M₀ NSCLC and there was unnecessary to perform systematic lymphadenectomy in such patients with a high ratio of GGO.