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About this Publication
Title
Risk of Lung Cancer in Peripheral Pulmonary Nodules.
Pubmed ID
38945743 (View this publication on the PubMed website)
Digital Object Identifier
Publication
Acad Radiol. 2024 Jun 29
Authors
Hammer MM, Hunsaker AR
Affiliations
  • Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Electronic address: mmhammer@bwh.harvard.edu.
  • Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine the risk of lung cancer and inter-observer agreement for small pulmonary nodules either touching or near the pleura.

METHODS: Nodules were derived from two cohorts: patients from the National Lung Screening Trial with a solid nodule measuring 6-9.5 mm; and patients with incidental pulmonary nodules in our healthcare system with a solid nodule measuring 1-8 mm. Only the dominant nodule was evaluated for each patient. All malignant nodules as well as a random sample of 200 benign nodules from each cohort were included. Two fellowship-trained thoracic radiologists independently reviewed each case to record nodule morphology (compatible with lymph node or not) and nodule location (pleural-based, septal connection to the pleura, or neither). One radiologist measured the distance to the pleura.

RESULTS: After exclusion criteria were applied, a total of 434 nodules were included, of which 45 were lung cancers. Considering all pleural-based nodules with lymph node morphology as benign, 0-7% of cancers were misclassified as benign, specificity 33%, and κ = 0.69. Considering subpleural nodules and those with septal connection to the pleura, 7-11% of cancers were misclassified (p = 0.16-0.25 versus pleural-based), specificity 40-52% (p < .0001), and κ = 0.60. Considering nodules with lymph node morphology ≤ 2 mm from the pleura, 2-7% of cancers were misclassified (p = 1 versus pleural-based), specificity 41-36% (p < .0001), and κ = 0.78.

CONCLUSION: Considering nodules with lymph node morphology with septal connection, or those ≤ 2 mm from the pleura, as benign does not lead to significant misclassification of lung cancers as benign.

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