Abstract
Background We retrospectively evaluated the invasive diagnostic techniques that were not suitable
for transthoracic biopsy or bronchoscopy and the results of these techniques for advanced
lung cancer cases.
Methods The files of patients operated at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of
Medicine, Pamukkale University for advanced lung cancer (stages III and IV) between
2006 and 2010 were retrospectively reviewed for the analysis of definite diagnostic
methods.
Results The mean age of 59 patients who underwent invasive diagnostic techniques was 56.55 ± 9.42
years (32 to 75) and the female to male ratio was 1:4 (11 female:48 male). Mediastinoscopy
was the most commonly used invasive technique with 20 patients (34%) while the second
most common technique was video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with 10 patients (17%).
Thoracotomy was the most invasive diagnostic technique with four patients (6.5%).
Conclusions Although it would be desirable to use noninvasive and minimally invasive diagnostic
techniques in the diagnosis of lung cancers, we should not try to avoid using invasive
diagnostic techniques in surgical practice in advanced lung cancers where other techniques
may be inadequate.
Keywords
lung neoplasms - invasive diagnostic technique - mediastinoscopy - video-assisted
thoracoscopic surgery
