Sanja Dacic (2017) Lung Carcinoma Staging Update. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine: July 2017, Vol. 141, No. 7, pp. 923-926.

SPECIAL SECTION—THIRD PRINCETON INTEGRATED PATHOLOGY SYMPOSIUM: THORACIC PATHOLOGY

Lung Carcinoma Staging Update

Sanja Dacic, MD, PhD

From the Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Reprints: Sanja Dacic, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, Room PUH C608, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (email: dacics@upmc.edu).

The author has no relevant financial interest in the products or companies described in this article.

Presented in part at the Third Princeton Integrated Pathology Symposium; May 14, 2016; Plainsboro, New Jersey.

Context.— The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Staging Committee has prospectively created an international lung cancer database that was used to address many lung cancer staging questions, such as tumor size, nodal status, and metastatic disease. The proposed changes for the upcoming 8th edition of the cancer staging manual were based on survival data and better prognostic stratification of patients with lung cancer.

Objectives.— To review published recommendations for the revision of lung carcinoma TNM staging and to address potential challenges in pathologic staging.

Data Source.— PubMed available articles by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Staging Committee were reviewed.

Conclusions.— The TNM system remains the best prognosticator of lung cancer outcome. The recommendations are established on new prospective data analysis and reflect the improvements in prognostic separation of patients with lung cancer based on a multidisciplinary approach.