Evaluation of scalene lymph node or contralateral mediastinum biopsy during mediastinoscopy for non-small cell lung cancer

Objective: To explore the clinical indication of N3 lymph node biopsy during mediastinoscopy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Cervical mediastinoscopy was performed in 89 patients with clinical stage I-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer prior to thoracotomy. Of those, 12 underwent cervical medistinoscopy combined with right scalene lymph node biopsy and 10 with anterior mediastinotomy.

Results: Nine patients were found to have lymph node metastasis (N3 disease) during mediastinosopy. Of those, 6 had contralateral mediastinal lymph node metastasis and 3 cases with right scalene lymph node metastasis. The incidence of N3 disease in the patients with adenocarcinoma, serum CEA > 5 ng/ml and multi-station mediastinal lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than that in those with non-adenocarcinoma, CEA < 5 ng/ml and ipsilateral uni-station mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Biopsy of scalene lymph node or contralateral mediastinal lymph node should be performed during mediastinoscopy in order to exclude N3 disease for potentially operable NSCLC patients with adenocarcinoma, serum CEA >5 ng/ml and ipsilateral multi-station mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis.