Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine
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Recently, routine clinical use of CT scan has enabled the detection of many small pulmonary nodules. Concurrently, high-resolution CT(HRCT) has made great advances in the diagnosis of small peripheral lung cancer. ⋯ Therefore, simple wedge resection may be acceptable as a radical operation. On the other hand, since patients with tumors < 50% GGO had slight metastatic tendency depending upon the tumor size, segmentectomy with mediastinal lymph node sampling should be considered only for tumors = < 15 mm.
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Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in both men and women. There are over 51,000 deaths annually from this disease in Japan. The characteristics of lung cancer have changed for several decades. ⋯ On the other hand, in Japan, several trials by case-control study demonstrated that chest x-ray screening is associated with earlier detection and improved survival. The conclusions are controversial in two studies. Further investigation will be needed to define the benefit of cancer screening.
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Advances in diagnostic methods and treatment modalities for lung cancer in the recent years were reviewed. Computed tomograph and other lung imaging devices facilitated early detection of small nodule, or diagnosis of extension of cancer. ⋯ However, it is expected that induction therapy will improve surgical result of advanced lung cancer. Surgery for lung cancer showed great improvements in terms of operative mortality, operative methods (bronchoplastic surgery, combined resection of adjacent organ invasion, extensive lymph node dissection, or limited lung resection) and surgical outcome.