Clinical values of different specimen preparation methods for the diagnosis of lung cancer by EBUS-TBNA

Diagnostic Pathology

Table 1 Characteristics of patient population and LNs in included patients (n _patients=181, n _LNs =213)

Baseline characteristics
Patients (male/female)		181 (129/52)
Mean age (range), years		61.5 ± 9.9 (26–79)
Smoking history
Never smoker		65(35.9%)
Ex-smoker		85(47.0%)
Current smoker		31(17.1%)
Known/suspected lung cancer		59/122
Station of LNs
2 L		1(0.45%)
2R		5(2.3%)
4 L		13(6.1%)
4R		65(30.5%)
7		51(23.9%)
10 L		2(0.9%)
10R		13(6.1%)
11 L		8 (3.8%)
11R		10(4.7%)
12 L		6(2.8%)
12R		13(6.1%)
Mass		26(12.2%)
Number of LNs station per patient
1 station		151(93.1%)
2 stations	28(6.3%)
3 stations	2(0.6%)
Final diagnosis for LNs, n (%)		Metastatic lung cancer 155 (72.8)^§
		Metastatic extrathoracic cancer 5 (2.3)^†
		Cancer type unknown 7 (3.3)
		Lymphoma 6 (2.8)^❈
		Non-malignancy 40 (18.8)^‡

Data are presented as n (%) or mean ± SD (range). abbreviations: LNs = Lymph nodes, SqCC = squamous cell carcinoma, AdC = adenocarcinoma, SCLC = small cell lung carcinoma, NSCLC = non-small cell lung carcinoma, LCLC = large cell lung carcinoma
^§including 82 LNs of metastatic lung AdC, 26 LNs of metastatic lung SqCC, 39 LNs of metastatic SCLC, 2 LNs of NSCLC, 2 LNs of metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma, 1 LN of metastatic lung adeno-squamous carcinoma, 1 LN of metastatic SqCC of the thymus, 1 LN of metastatic LCLC, 1 LN of metastatic lung sarcomatoid carcinoma
^†including 1 LN of metastatic colon adenocarcinoma, 1 LN of metastatic SqCC of the esophagus, 1 LN of metastatic SqCC of the cervix, 1 LN of metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma, 1 LN of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma
^❈ including 5 LNs of B cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 1 LN of Hodgkin’s lymphoma
^‡including 11 LNs of necrotizing granuloma, 2 LNs of non-necrotizing granuloma, 10 LNs of nonspecific lymphadenopathy, and 17 LNs of anthracotic pigment deposition

ISSN: 1746-1596