Lung Cancer Invading the Pericardium: Quantum of Lymph Nodes

Reports on T3 and T4 cancer with pericardial involvement are few, but also stress that pulmonary vein and left atrium invasion does not worsen the prognosis more than pericardial invasion alone. The rich pericardial lymph drainage might enhance the spread of tumor cells, explaining excessively high N1-N2 rates and pericardial invasion-related poor prognosis.