Background: To compare the diagnostic yield of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and/or endoesophageal ultrasound (EUS) with transcervical extended mediastinal lymphadenectomy (TEMLA) for primary staging and repeated staging (restaging) of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Methods: In this retrospective study, all consecutive patients undergoing primary staging and restaging after neoadjuvant chemo- or chemo-radiotherapy for NSCLC with EBUS, EUS, or EBUS combined with EUS (CUS) with fine needle aspiration biopsy and cytological examination and subsequent TEMLA from January 1, 2007 to December 31 2010, were included.
Results: Primary staging was performed in 623 patients: EBUS in 351, EUS in 72, and CUS in 200 patients. TEMLA was performed for primary staging in 276 patients. There was no mortality and morbidity after EBUS or EUS. One patient died after TEMLA and morbidity rate after TEMLA was 7.2%. There was a significant difference between EBUS or EUS and TEMLA for sensitivity (87.8% and 96.2%; p < 0.01) and negative predictive value (82.5% and 99.6%; p < 0.01) in favor of TEMLA. In the restaging group, endoscopic staging was performed in 88 patients and TEMLA in 78 patients. There was a significant difference between EBUS or EUS and TEMLA for sensitivity (64.3% and 100%; p < 0.01) and negative predictive value (82.1% and 100%; p < 0.01) in favor of TEMLA.
Conclusions: The results of this largest reported series comparing the endoscopic and surgical primary staging and restaging of NSCLC showed a significantly higher diagnostic yield of TEMLA when compared with that of EBUS or EUS.