Could the molecular profile help predict occult nodal metastasis in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma?

Excerpt

Thank you for your correspondence pertaining to our manuscript. As you astutely observed, a pivotal facet of this investigation lies in its demonstration of the potential for prognosticating occult lymph node metastasis (OLM) solely through preoperative computed tomography (CT) findings. Previous reports posited that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the maximum standardized uptake (SUV_max) derived from ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with CT (PET-CT) might serve as predictive indicators of OLM [1, 2]. Nevertheless, our study demonstrates that preoperative CT is able to anticipate OLM even when performed alone. We posit that the findings of this study carry substantial validity, particularly considering the likelihood that a multitude of cases globally, especially in resource-constrained regions, rely exclusively upon CT to inform surgical indications. …