Biological features and preoperative evaluation of mediastinal nodal status in non-small cell lung cancer

Background. To examine whether biological features of primary tumor can help preoperative evaluation of mediastinal nodal status in non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods. A total of 450 patients who underwent tumor resection and mediastinal dissection were reviewed. p53 status and proliferative fraction (PI) were evaluated immunohistochemically.

Results. The accuracy of preoperative evaluation of mediastinal nodal status with computed tomography (CT) was 72.2%; mediastinal nodal metastases had not been revealed until operation in 59 patients (13.1%) (false-negative), and no metastasis was revealed in 66 patients (14.7%) although mediastinal nodal enlargement had been demonstrated by CT (false-positive). The number of false-negative patients was significantly larger when p53 aberrant expression was positive or when PI was higher. Combined with p53 status and PI, there were 27 false-negatives (24.1%) among patients with aberrant p53 expression and higher PI, whereas only two false-negatives (1.5%) among those with negative p53 expression and lower PI.

Conclusions. Mediastinoscopy may be recommended for tumor showing aberrant p53 expression and higher PI, even when CT demonstrates no mediastinal nodal enlargement.