[Importance of mediastinoscopy and parasternal mediastinotomy in the accurate determination of the operability of lung cancer patients].

The authors give a comparative estimation of the results of 217 mediastinoscopies, 58 parasternal mediastinotomies, performed in 274 patients with pulmonary cancer to determine precisely their operability. Positive findings in mediastinoscopy were noted in 66 (33.4%) of 217 patients, especially in cancer of median localization (in 42 of 153 patients or in 32%) and of the right lung predominantly (in 51 of 134 patients or in 45.5%). Parasternal mediastinoscopy yielded positive findings in 30 (51.7%) of 58 patients. This method proved to be mostly reliable in examining patients with peripheral bronchus cancer, especially in left lung localization of the tumor. The results of mediastinoscopy and parasternal mediastinotomy are similarly conditioned by the morphological structure of the tumor. Due to mediastinoscopy and parasternal mediastinotomy 57 (26.6%) of 222 patients, previously referred to as being "operable," proved to be inoperable. These methods also would aid in avoiding tentative thoracotomy or nonradical surgery in 78 (30.7%) of 254 patients, primarily considered to be "operable" or "doubtfully operable".