Prognostic impact of lymphadenectomy on outcomes of sublobar resection for non-small cell lung cancer ≤1 or >1 to 2 cm

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for nearly 85% of lung cancer (1). The 2020 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommend lobectomy combined with systematic mediastinal lymph node (LN) dissection as the standard surgical procedure for NSCLC, which identifies patients who may benefit from subsequent chemotherapy and target therapy (2). However, in patients without nodal metastases, prophylactic lymphadenectomy has limited benefit for survival (3). Moreover, mediastinal lymphadenectomy may increase the drainage and operative time, and may cause damage to neurogenic, vascular, and lymphatic structures in the mediastinum (4)