Table 1.

Attributes Based on Literature and Expert Opinion

Clinical relevance of mediastinal staging (eg, treatment choice)

Cost-effectiveness of mediastinal staging

Effect of unforeseen N2 disease on survival

Maximum accuracy of mediastinal staging

Negative predictive value of endosonography

Negative predictive value of mediastinoscopy

Patients’ comfort during staging procedures

Risk of complications of futile surgical lung tumor resection

Risk of complications of staging procedures

Sensitivity of endosonography

Sensitivity of mediastinoscopy

The total length of the staging period

The total number of staging procedures