Intraoperative Pleural Lavage: Is It a Valid Prognostic Factor in Lung Cancer?

A positive cytology finding of intraoperative pre-resectional pleural lavage could be an important prognostic factor in patients undergoing major lung resection for NSCLC. Patients with a positive lavage should be upstaged. However, larger series are needed to define accurately the role of this technique in early stage lung cancer.