Vagus Nerve Preservation and Chronic Cough in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Surgery

Plain-language summary

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Surgical resection is the main treatment for resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and lobectomy with systemic mediastinal lymph node dissection is the standard surgical method. However, a significant number of patients experience postoperative chronic cough; it is observed in about 60% of patients during the first year of outpatient clinic follow-up, and persistently lasts in about 24.7-50% during the 5 year follow-up period. Several studies showed the association between vagus nerve and chronic cough. The bronchopulmonary vagal afferent C-fibers are responsible for cough, chest tightness and reflex bronchoconstrictions. It is expected that during the mediastinal lymph node dissection, the inevitable injuries to the pulmonary branch of vagus nerve is largely responsible for development of chronic cough. In other words, preservation of pulmonary branch of vagus nerve may reduce the incidence of chronic cough and relevant detrimental effects on quality of life. Therefore, this prospective, randomized and controlled clinical study, aims to evaluate the effect of vagus nerve preservation on postoperative chronic cough in patients undergoing lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection. In addition, the feasibility and oncologic safety of preserving pulmonary branch of vagus nerve during mediastinal lymph node dissection with minimally invasive surgery compared with conventional mediastinal lymph node dissection with minimally invasive surgery will also be investigated. This trial will provide a new basis for oncologically feasible, safe and effective new surgical technique for mediastinal lymph node dissection in patients with early lung cancer undergoing minimally invasive surgery. Furthermore, the preventive effect of vagus nerve preservation on incidence of chronic cough will be objectively be proven and thus help to broaden the current knowledge of the role of vagus nerve and postoperative chronic cough.

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