To explore the role of multidisciplinary integrated outpatient and systematic follow-up for pulmonary nodulesin the early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.

The information about number of outpatient visit, demographics, diagnosis and suggestions at outpatient, follow-up, surgery and pathologicalfindingsof multidisciplinary integrated outpatient for pulmonary nodules during a whole year was summarized, and the role of multidisciplinary integrated outpatient for pulmonary nodules in promoting the accuracy of diagnosis of early lung cancer and rate of follow-up was investigated.

A total of 134 patients visited multidisciplinary integrated outpatient for pulmonary nodules, and there were 261 pulmonary nodules. Early lung cancer was diagnosed in 54.5%(73/134) of patients, surgery was suggested in 41.0%(55/134) of patients, and operation was finally performed in 50 patients(37.3%). Early lung cancer before IA stage (including atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, adenocarcinoma in situ, microinvasive adenocarcinoma, and invasive pulmonary adenocarcinoma) was confirmed after operation in 33.6% of patients(45/134), and the accuracy of diagnosis of early lung cancer by multidisciplinary integrated outpatient was 90.0%(45/90). Thirty-three out of 45 patients(73.3%) with early lung cancer were diagnosed as benign pulmonary nodules in other hospitals, and were advised not to receive treatment or reexamination.

Multidisciplinary integrated outpatient and systematic follow-up for pulmonary nodules may play a role in the early diagnosis of lung cancer, and may help to reduce the related mortality of lung cancer.