Choosing the best way to check if lung cancer has spread to lymph nodes
Comparative-Effectiveness of Pretreatment Lung Cancer Nodal Staging
This project compares different ways doctors decide who should have a lymph node biopsy before lung cancer treatment so patients get the right care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11250157 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Lung cancer treatment depends on knowing whether the cancer has reached lymph nodes, but current imaging tests can be wrong and biopsies carry risks. The team will look at real-world care patterns, guideline-based decision rules, and outcomes to find which patients truly benefit from a pretreatment lymph node biopsy. They build on a pilot study and analyze variation across hospitals to pinpoint where biopsies are overused or underused. The goal is to refine when doctors recommend biopsy so fewer people get unnecessary procedures and fewer people are undertreated.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with newly diagnosed lung cancer whose doctors are deciding whether to perform a lymph node biopsy before choosing surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatments.
Not a fit: Patients without lung cancer or those already definitively staged by prior biopsy or treatment are unlikely to benefit from this specific work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce unnecessary biopsies and missed cancer spread, leading to safer, more effective treatment plans for lung cancer patients.
How similar studies have performed: There was a smaller pilot that informed this work, but national guideline evidence is limited and this project aims to fill that gap.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Farjah, Farhood — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Farjah, Farhood
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.