Clinical Study of 11 Small Peripheral Lung Cancer Cases and Transbronchial Brushing Cytology

Eleven cases of peripheral lung cancer in which the diameter did not exceed 1.5cm were studied clinically. Eight cases were detected by chest X-ray and 3 by symptoms.Histological findings showed squamous cell carcinoma in 6 cases, adenocarcinoma in 4 cases and carcinoid in one case.Out of 11 lesions, 2 were in the sub-segmental bronchi and 2 were in the sub-subsegmental bronchi and 7 were in more peripheral regions. Chest X-ray findings showed tumor shadow in 8 cases, secondary pneumonia in 2 cases and no abnormality (occult) in one case. Lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed in all cases. Postoperatively, hilar lymph node metastasis was observed in one case and the mediastinal lymph node metastasis in one case. No recurrence was observed in the non-metastatic cases. Preoperatively, in all cases, cancer cells or cancerous tissue specimens were obtained by the transbronchial brushing cytology or biopsy.In 6 of 7 lesions located in more peripheral bronchi than sub-sub-segmental bronchi, cancer cells were obtained by the transbronchial brushing cytology method.Therefore we concluded that transbronchial brushing cytology is the most reliable method for diagnosis in such peripheral type small lung cancers.