Remediastinoscopy

Indications for remediastinoscopy include recurrent and second primary lung cancer, an inadequate first procedure, lung cancer occurring after an unrelated disease such as lymphoma, and restaging after induction therapy. Nowadays, restaging is the most frequent indication for remediastinoscopy. Only patients with proven mediastinal downstaging will benefit from a subsequent surgical resection. In contrast to imaging or functional studies, remediastinoscopy provides pathologic evidence of response after induction therapy. Although technically more challenging than a first procedure, remediastinoscopy can select patients for subsequent thoracotomy and provides prognostic information. In most recent series, sensitivity of remediastinoscopy is higher than 70% with an accuracy of approximately 85%. Survival also depends on the findings at remediastinoscopy, with patients with persisting mediastinal involvement having a poor prognosis. An alternative approach consists of the use of minimally invasive staging procedures as endobronchial or endoscopic esophageal ultrasonography to obtain initial proof of mediastinal nodal involvement. Mediastinoscopy is subsequently performed after induction therapy to evaluate response. In this way, a technically more difficult remediastinoscopy can be avoided.