Biomaterial Database

The role of mediastinoscopy and mediastinotomy in lung cancer. 1982

S W Hashim, and A E Baue, and A S Geha

Mediastinoscopy and mediastinotomy have a major role in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. In some instances, they lead to a histologic diagnosis of a tumor of unknown cell type seen by chest roentgenogram, when other diagnostic methods have failed to do so. By far the most important role of these procedures is to stage the mediastinum for better selection of patients for surgery. Thoracotomy has a low morbidity and mortality; nevertheless, it is a formidable operation. If thoracotomy is used indiscriminately in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma who are referred for surgical treatment, many of these patients "lose, just through the operation, one or two of the best months they have left to live." In the five categories of patients described, mediastinoscopy and mediastinotomy are the most effective and economic methods for predicting who will benefit from thoracotomy and resection.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008175	Lung Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the LUNG.	Cancer of Lung,Lung Cancer,Pulmonary Cancer,Pulmonary Neoplasms,Cancer of the Lung,Neoplasms, Lung,Neoplasms, Pulmonary,Cancer, Lung,Cancer, Pulmonary,Cancers, Lung,Cancers, Pulmonary,Lung Cancers,Lung Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Lung,Neoplasm, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Cancers,Pulmonary Neoplasm
D008198	Lymph Nodes	They are oval or bean shaped bodies (1 - 30 mm in diameter) located along the lymphatic system.	Lymph Node,Node, Lymph,Nodes, Lymph
D008481	Mediastinoscopy	Endoscopic examination, therapy or surgery of the anterior superior mediastinum of the thorax.	Mediastinoscopic Surgical Procedures,Surgical Procedures, Mediastinoscopic,Mediastinoscopic Surgery,Surgery, Mediastinoscopic,Mediastinoscopic Surgeries,Mediastinoscopic Surgical Procedure,Mediastinoscopies,Procedure, Mediastinoscopic Surgical,Procedures, Mediastinoscopic Surgical,Surgeries, Mediastinoscopic,Surgical Procedure, Mediastinoscopic
D008482	Mediastinum	A membrane in the midline of the THORAX of mammals. It separates the lungs between the STERNUM in front and the VERTEBRAL COLUMN behind. It also surrounds the HEART, TRACHEA, ESOPHAGUS, THYMUS, and LYMPH NODES.
D009333	Neck	The part of a human or animal body connecting the HEAD to the rest of the body.	Necks
D009367	Neoplasm Staging	Methods which attempt to express in replicable terms the extent of the neoplasm in the patient.	Cancer Staging,Staging, Neoplasm,Tumor Staging,TNM Classification,TNM Staging,TNM Staging System,Classification, TNM,Classifications, TNM,Staging System, TNM,Staging Systems, TNM,Staging, Cancer,Staging, TNM,Staging, Tumor,System, TNM Staging,Systems, TNM Staging,TNM Classifications,TNM Staging Systems
D011183	Postoperative Complications	Pathologic processes that affect patients after a surgical procedure. They may or may not be related to the disease for which the surgery was done, and they may or may not be direct results of the surgery.	Complication, Postoperative,Complications, Postoperative,Postoperative Complication
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001706	Biopsy	Removal and pathologic examination of specimens from the living body.	Biopsies