The revised TNM staging system and surgical strategies for non-small cell lung cancer / 肿瘤研究与临床

ABSTRACT

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) has presented the details of the IASLC/International Union Against Cancer (UICC)/American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Revised Staging Classification for Lung Cancer. The IASLC is the largest world-wide professional organization solely dedicated to reduce the worldwide burden of lung cancer. The IASLC recognizes that the staging classification will be most valuable and accurate if it is based on the evaluation of outcomes of large numbers of cases carefully collected and analyzed in an extensive worldwide database. The analyses of the T, N and M descriptors as well as the stage groupings were performed in 67,725 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)patients. Survival was the primary outcome, measured from the date of diagnosis or date of protocol registration for clinical staging, or the date of surgery for pathologic staging. The remarkable efforts of the IASLC Staging Committee have resulted in an evidence-based, validated and robust revision of the international staging system for NSCLC. This landmark contribution will improve our care of patients and lays a strong foundation for future refinements based on an expanding knowledge of lung cancer behavior and biology. This review outlines the changes in the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) descriptors and stage groupings anticipated in the official new stage classification system for NSCLC.