A Prediction Model for Pathologic N2 Disease in Lung Cancer Patients with a Negative Mediastinum by Positron Emission Tomography

Prediction of N2 nodal involvement by NSCLC would be valuable in identifying patients who are appropriate for invasive staging.  This study modeled pathologic N2 disease in a cohort of N2 negative patients based on clinical staging.  10% were pathologic N2 largely based on findings at the time of lung resection.  The only predictor of pathologic N2 on multivariate analysis was the presence of N1 disease on PET.