This site is intended for UK healthcare professionals
Medscape UK Univadis Logo
Medscape UK Univadis Logo
News

Clinical significance of pulmonary nodules in oesophageal cancer

Incidental pulmonary nodules found during staging investigations in patients with newly diagnosed oesophageal cancer are rarely metastases. Such nodules, in isolation, should not preclude patients from radical treatment, according to Guy’s & St Thomas’ Oesophago-Gastric Research Group.

The advice is based on the findings of a study conducted from January 2008 to December 2012 in a tertiary oesophagogastric referral centre. The aim was to elucidate the clinical importance of incidentally found pulmonary nodules in patients with clinically localised oesophageal cancer.

Of 149 patients included in the study, 33 (22.1%) had pulmonary nodules detected on cross-sectional imaging.

The median size of nodules was 7 mm (range 4-12 mm). The most common locations for nodules were the right upper lobe (8) and the right lower lobe (8). Six were located in the lower left lobe and four were found in the left upper lobe. Two were found in the right middle lobe. Three were found in two lobes of the same lung. The location of the remaining two nodules was not specified.

Only three (9%) of these 33 patients went on to develop metastatic pulmonary disease on follow-up. In all three patients, the nodules were negative on initial 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET).

The findings are published in the journal Diseases of the Esophagus.


References


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE