Staging lymph node metastases from lung cancer in the mediastinum.

Background: The presence of tumor metastases in the mediastinum is one of the most important elements in determining the optimal treatment strategy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. This review is aimed at examining the current strategies for investigating lymph node metastases corresponding to an "N2" classification delineated by The International Staging Committee of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).

Methods: Extensive review of the existing scientific literature related to the investigation of mediastinal lymph node metastases was undertaken in order to summarize and report current best practices.