The knowledge of anatomical lymphatic drainage pathways between lung and mediastinum and metastatic spread patterns of lung cancer forms the basis for the modern TNM classification for the staging of lung cancer. Clinical and anatomical studies divided pulmonary nodes into intrapulmonary and bronchopulmonary, the latter distinguished into lobar and hilar nodes. Mediastinal nodes are grouped into anterior prevascular, tracheobronchial, paratracheal and posterior nodes. The different pathways of lymphatic drainage of the lungs to the mediastinal lymph nodes are presented with the consequent surgical implications.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical experience in staging of lung cancer at Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

Staging of lung cancer needs an accurate diagnostic programme resulting in therapeutic and prognostic consequences. A modern, articulate flow-chart is presented and discussed. As a result, the rate of exploratory thoracotomy was reduced from 15.1% in 1988 to 2.1% in 1997 and the rate of resectability raised up to 30%. Preoperative over-staging was found in about 25% and the same value for understaging. Looking to the N-values, there was concordance of clinical and postoperative data in 61.9% of cases.

Germany↗