Diagnostics and staging procedures in non‐small cell lung cancer – is less more?

Abstract

Introduction: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common cancer with approximately 85% of patients dying of the disease. The only chance for cure is in the early stages, when surgery or definite chemoradiotherapy can be performed. Diagnosis and staging of lung cancer can sometimes be difficult, particularly because the intrathoracic structures are not easy to reach. Objective: This review discusses the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer.

Novel lung cancer staging algorithms

“…An overview of current available methods for the diagnosis and staging of non‐small cell lung cancer is published in this issue of The Clinical Respiratory Journal (1). Clinical relevant outcomes of staging studies and the increasing availability of both imaging and echo‐endoscopic tools provide a chance to improve current lung cancer staging algorithms.…”

“…Heigener et al . state in their review that they only perform mediastinal tissue staging in case of bulky N2 or suspected N3 disease based on a chest CT (1). All other patients undergo surgical resection as initial cancer treatment – also those with suspected N2 disease.…”