Methods: Between September 2001 and May 2006, 95 patients (64 males, 31 females) underwent standard cervical mediastinoscopy for lung cancer staging in our clinic.
Results: Fifty-two patients (%54) were staged as negative for mediastinal lymph nodes, 35 patients (%36) as N2, eight patients (%10) as N3. Patients who were not diagnosed as N2 or N3 disease with mediastinoscopy underwent pulmonary resection and mediastinal lymph node dissection via thoracotomy.
Conclusion: Although mediastinoscopy is an invasive procedure, it is highly accurate and easy to perform with minimal mortality and morbidity rates, therefore, it is still the gold standard for lung cancer staging.