There have been 137 cases of early lung cancer in the hilar region documented in Japan. Most of these cases belonged to the high risk group had subjective symptoms and were diagnosed by sputum cytology and bronchoscopy.
The “thickening of the bronchial spur” can be the most important sign for the location of the superficial infiltrative type of early stage lung cancer in the hilar region, especially carcinoma in situ. A squamous metaplasia around the lung cancer in the hilar region was revealed by the scanning electron microscope in eight cases out of the 46 in our study.
As a method of treatment for this early stage of lung cancer in the hilar region, a lobectomy was selected. However, in order to improve the radicality of the operation and reserve for a normal lobe, a bronchoplastic procedure had to be applied.
