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Resection for Patients Initially Diagnosed with N3 Lung Cancer after Response to Induction Therapy

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Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery

Abstract

Lung cancer is classified as N3 when metastases to the contralateral mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes, the supraclavicular nodes, and the scalene nodes are present at the time of diagnosis. N3 lung tumors have been included in stage IIIB since 1986, when it appeared clear that such locally advanced disease needs to be grouped in a separate stage III category because of the extremely poor prognosis. In the large series reported by Mountain, 5-year survival for N3 patients was 3%. These tumors have always been considered inoperable due to the difficulties in eradicating all the detectable disease that markedly limits the applicability of primary surgery in this setting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, University La Sapienza Sant Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Antonio D’Andrilli MD, Federico Venuta MD & Erino A. Rendina MD

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  1. Antonio D’Andrilli MD
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  2. Federico Venuta MD
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  3. Erino A. Rendina MD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Mark K. Ferguson MD (Professor and Head) (Professor and Head)

  2. Thoracic Surgery Service, The University of Chicago Hospitals, Chicago, IL, USA

    Mark K. Ferguson MD (Professor and Head) (Professor and Head)

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D’Andrilli, A., Venuta, F., Rendina, E.A. (2007). Resection for Patients Initially Diagnosed with N3 Lung Cancer after Response to Induction Therapy. In: Ferguson, M.K. (eds) Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84628-474-8_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84628-474-8_15

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