Preoperative prognostic factors for disease-free survival with small adenocarcinomas (≤3 cm).

<p>Logistic regression test (Univariate analyses).</p><p>LD: diameter using lung window setting, MD: diameter using mediastinal window setting, RFS: recurrence-free survival, TDR: tumour disappearance ratio (TDR  = 1− MD/LD), CEA: carcinoembryonic antigen, cN: preoperative nodal status, CI: confidence interval.</p><p>Preoperative prognostic factors for disease-free survival with small adenocarcinomas (≤3 cm).</p

Receiver operating characteristic analyses for lymph node metastasis.

<p>Tumour dimension was evaluated using lung window (LD) and mediastinal window (MD) settings. TDR: tumour disappearance ratio (TDR  = 1− MD/LD), CEA: carcinoembryonic antigen. Allow indicated a value at 100% sensitivity.</p

Receiver operating characteristic analyses for recurrence.

<p>Tumour dimension was evaluated using lung window (LD) and mediastinal window (MD) settings. TDR: tumour disappearance ratio (TDR  = 1− MD/LD). Allow indicated a value at 100% sensitivity.</p

Incidence of lymphatic vessel, vascular vessel or pleural invasion in small adenocarcinomas according to tumour dimension using mediastinal window (MD) settings.

<p>A black bar showed a patient with invasion to any of lymphatic vessel, vascular vessel or pleura, and a gray bar showed a patient without any of them.</p

Preoperative factors associated with lymph node metastasis in small adenocarcinoma (≤3 cm).

<p>Logistic regression test (Univariate analyses).</p><p>LD: diameter by lung window setting, MD: diameter by mediastinal window setting, TDR: tumour disappearance ratio (TDR  = 1− MD/LD), CEA: carcinoembryonic antigen, cN: preoperative nodal status, CI: confidence interval, LN: lymph node.</p><p>Preoperative factors associated with lymph node metastasis in small adenocarcinoma (≤3 cm).</p

The 5-year disease-free survival curve according to tumour dimension using mediastinal window (MD) settings.

<p>Tumour dimension was evaluated using mediastinal window (MD) settings. One case with MD 9 mm showed recurrence and the case is the smallest in MD among all.</p

Preoperative factors associated with pleural, lymphatic and vascular invasion in small adenocarcinomas (≤3 cm).

<p>Logistic regression test (Univariate analyses).</p><p>LD: diameter by lung window setting, MD: diameter by mediastinal window setting, TDR: tumour disappearance ratio (TDR  = 1− MD/LD), CEA: carcinoembryonic antigen, cN: preoperative nodal status, CI: confidence interval, ly: lymphatic vessels, v: vascular vessels, pl: pleura.</p><p>Preoperative factors associated with pleural, lymphatic and vascular invasion in small adenocarcinomas (≤3 cm).</p

Distribution of node involvement in pN2 patients in upper division non-small cell lung cancer with interlobar node metastases.

<p>Distribution of node involvement in pN2 patients in upper division non-small cell lung cancer with interlobar node metastases.</p

Characteristics of patients with left upper lobe non-small cell cancer.

<p>Characteristics of patients with left upper lobe non-small cell cancer.</p

Frequency of lymph node metastases.

<p>^a<i>p</i> < 0.05</p><p># indicates “lymph node number” as defined by the Committee of the International Union against Cancer [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0134674#pone.0134674.ref012" target="_blank">12</a>].</p><p>Frequency of lymph node metastases.</p