Do hemodynamic studies of stage T1 lung cancer enable the prediction of hilar or mediastinal nodal metastasis?
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify CT enhancement characteristics that predict hilar or mediastinal nodal metastasis in patients with stage T1 lung cancer. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighty-four patients (50 men and 34 women; age range, 39-80 years; mean age, 61 years) with stage T1 lung cancer underwent a hemodynamic and a conventional morphologic CT study before curative surgical resection. Peak enhancement (maximum attenuation over the entire time course), net enhancement (peak enhancement minus preenhancement attenuation), maximum enhancement ratio (MER), time to peak enhancement, slope of enhancement on dynamic studies, nodule size, presence of tumor necrosis or thickening of bronchovascular bundles, and marginal characteristics on morphologic studies were analyzed and correlated with the presence of histologically determined mediastinal or hilar nodal metastasis. RESULTS: Mediastinal or hilar nodal metastases were found at surgery in 26 (31%) of 84 patients: mediastinal nodes in 13 (15%)
