Subcarinal Lymph Nodes Should be Dissected in All Lobectomies for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer-Regardless of Primary Tumor Location

Subcarinal lymph node metastases were common despite frequent use of preoperative invasive mediastinal staging in lower-lobe, middle-lobe, and upper-lobe NSCLC. Subcarinal lymph nodes should be dissected or sampled routinely during operations for NSCLC to avoid understaging-regardless of preoperative invasive mediastinal staging and tumor location.