HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Hisao Asamura Permission Requests Google Scholar Articles by Asamura, H. PubMed Articles by Asamura, H. Related Collections Minimally invasive surgery

---

Supplement: The Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Summit

Minimally Invasive Approach to Early, Peripheral Adenocarcinoma with Ground-Glass Opacity Appearance

Division of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Asamura, Division of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, 1-1, Tsukiji 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan (Email: hasamura@ncc.go.jp).

Presented at the Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Summit, New York, NY, June 8–9, 2007.

The first 300 words of the full text of this article appear below.

	Introduction

 
Owing to the advent of refined chest computed tomography (CT) images with high resolution and CT screening programs, smaller and faint lung cancers are being discovered [1, 2]. Most of them have a characteristic appearance on high-resolution CT image known as ground-glass opacity (GGO), which is characterized by a mild-to-intermediate increase in CT density. These images are localized and homogeneous, and do not obscure the images of preexisting bronchovascular structures within the nodule. Some of them typically have a solid part in the center, and their appearance mimics a fried egg [3, 4].

The pathologic features of these tumors are also characterized by nonmucinous, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) or atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) according to the histologic classification of the World Health Organization (WHO) [5]. A demographic analysis of GGO-BAC tumors indicated that these tumors are more likely to arise in women in their 50s and 60s without a history of smoking. The rate of growth is generally slow, and tumors are even indolent for more than 10 years in some cases. A superb prognosis has been reported in case series from many institutions; to date however, a prospective study that compares the prognosis of lobectomy and limited, sublobar resection for GGO tumors not been reported.

The ultimate purpose of surgical resection for malignant tumor is to ensure the complete clearance of tumor cells. For tumors with invasive growth, the extent of resection is increased so that no tumor cells are left behind, which is called "radical resection." For tumors without invasive growth or with only minimal invasion, however, local excision of the lesion might be permitted. Although the standard mode of resection for lung cancer has been lobectomy, the possibility of limited, sublobar resection for small, faint tumors with GGO appearance is being considered.

	Roentgenologic Definition of Ground-Glass Opacity

 
. . . [Full Text of this Article]