T1N0M0 lung cancer: evaluation with CT

Although computed tomography (CT) is widely used in the evaluation of lung cancer, its use in the evaluation of clinical stage T1N0M0 lung cancer remains controversial. To evaluate the utility of CT, the authors studied 35 patients with clinical stage T1N0M0 lung cancer who underwent CT. Thoracotomy, mediastinoscopy, or fine-needle aspiration biopsy were performed in 26 of the patients. Metastases were proved in six of these patients, with CT demonstrating adenopathy in four of the six and a contralateral mass in one. Chest wall invasion was not demonstrated with CT in one patient. The overall prevalence of metastatic lesions in this group of 26 patients was 23.1%, with 15.4% of the 26 having unresectable lesions. CT demonstrated all metastatic lesions that precluded curative surgery. The results suggest that CT is clinically useful in the evaluation of clinical stage T1N0M0 lung cancer.