ArticleJournal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer2011
Thoracic operations for pulmonary nodules are frequently not futile in patients with benign disease.
Article in Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.
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Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- Trial
- Factors that influence physician decision making for indeterminate pulmonary nodules.Annals of the American Thoracic Society · 2014Trial
- Over- and underscreening for lung cancer.Translational lung cancer research · 2026Review
- Upfront uniportal anatomical segmentectomy: a propensity score-matched analysis on the early postoperative outcomes of complex and simple resections.Journal of thoracic disease · 2026Article
- Leveraging technology to help the patient: Combined robotic bronchoscopic biopsy with surgical resection during the same anesthetic event.JTCVS techniques · 2025Article
- The TSANZ Practical Guide for Clinicians in the Management of Screen- and Incidentally-Detected Nodules.Respirology (Carlton, Vic.) · 2025Review
- Comparative long-term prognosis of early surgery and surgery after surveillance for patients with ground-glass nodule adenocarcinomas.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Surgical Resection of Benign Nodules in Lung Cancer Screening: Incidence and Features.JTO clinical and research reports · 2023Article
- Article
- Comparative Microbiomics Analysis of Antimicrobial Antibody Response between Patients with Lung Cancer and Control Subjects with Benign Pulmonary Nodules.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2023Article
- A novel approach for the non-invasive diagnosis of pulmonary nodules using low-depth whole-genome sequencing of cell-free DNA.Translational lung cancer research · 2022Article
- Futile lobectomies following video-thoracoscopic exploration for indeterminate pulmonary nodules: a retrospective study.Journal of thoracic disease · 2022Article
- Transthoracic needle biopsy versus surgical diagnosis for solid pulmonary nodules.Journal of thoracic disease · 2022Article
- Identification and evaluation of circulating small extracellular vesicle microRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers for patients with indeterminate pulmonary nodules.Journal of nanobiotechnology · 2022Article
- Preoperative biopsy and tumor recurrence of stage I adenocarcinoma of the lung.Surgery today · 2020Article
- Integrated, Multidisciplinary Management of Pulmonary Nodules Can Streamline Care and Improve Adherence to Recommendations.The oncologist · 2020Article
- Incidental nonneoplastic parenchymal findings in patients undergoing lung resection for mass lesions.Human pathology · 2019Article
- Image-based management of empiric lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) without biopsy: Predictors from a 10-year single institution experience.Thoracic cancer · 2018Article
- Virtual fluoroscopy during transbronchial biopsy for locating ground-glass nodules not visible on X-ray fluoroscopy.Journal of thoracic disease · 2017Article
- Lung Cancer Diagnosis by Fine Needle Aspiration Is Associated With Reduction in Resection of Nonmalignant Lung Nodules.The Annals of thoracic surgery · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionPulmonary nodules often require operative resection to obtain a diagnosis. However, 10 to 30% of operations result in a benign diagnosis. Our purpose was to determine whether negative thoracic operations are futile by describing the pathological diagnoses; determining new diagnoses and treatment changes initiated based on operative findings; and assessing morbidity, mortality, and cost of the procedure.
methodsAt our academic medical center, 278 thoracic operations were performed for known or suspected cancer between January 1, 2005, and April 1, 2009. We collected and summarized data pertaining to preoperative patient and nodule characteristics, pathologic diagnosis, postoperative treatment changes resulting from surgical resection, perioperative morbidity and mortality, and hospital charges for patients with benign pathology.
resultsTwenty-three percent (65/278) of patients who underwent surgical resection for a suspicious nodule had benign pathology. We report granulomatous disease in 57%, benign tumors in 15%, fibrosis in 12%, and autoimmune and vascular diseases in 9%. Definitive diagnosis or treatment changes occurred in 85% of cases. Surgical intervention led to a new diagnosis in 69%, treatment course changes in 68% of benign cases, medication changes in 38%, new consultation in 31%, definitive treatment in 9%, and underlying disease management in 34%. There was no intraoperative, in-hospital, or 30-day mortality. Postoperative in-hospital events occurred in seven patients. The mean total cost was $25,515 with a mean cost per day of $7618.
conclusionsPatients with a benign diagnosis after surgical resection for a pulmonary nodule received a new diagnosis or had a treatment course change in 85% of the cases.
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