Neck Ultrasound by Respiratory Physicians in Patients With Lung Cancer
Neck Ultrasound by Respiratory Physicians in Patients With Lung Cancer
This is a study of routine neck ultrasound performed by respiratory physicians in patients
 with mediastinal lymphadenopathy and suspected lung cancer
In the first phase of the study a respiratory physician was trained to perform neck
 ultrasound and needle sampling of enlarged cervical lymph nodes according to preset criteria.
 In the second phase patients with suspected lung cancer and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes
 underwent routine neck ultrasound and enlarged cervical lymph nodes were sampled using fine
 needle and or core needle biopsy.

 The outcomes of interest in the study were the rate of malignant cervical lymphadenopathy
 defined as pathological evidence of cancer in neck lymph node samples consistent with a lung
 primary, adequacy of needle sampling, patient reported experience assessed by a visual
 analogue of discomfort associated with needle neck sampling and EBUS, and the proportion of
 patients that had nodal upstaging
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Suspected and later on confirmed lung cancer

 -  Presence of at least one mediastinal lymph node measuring > 10 mm in short diameter on
 computerised Tomography

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Age <18

 -  History any malignancy apart from non-melanomatous skin cancer

 -  Inability to give informed consent