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World J Radiol. Apr 28, 2012; 4(4): 128-134
Published online Apr 28, 2012. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v4.i4.128
The 7th lung cancer TNM classification and staging system: Review of the changes and implications
Saeed Mirsadraee, Dilip Oswal, Yalda Alizadeh, Andrea Caulo, Edwin JR van Beek
Saeed Mirsadraee, Andrea Caulo, Edwin JR van Beek, Clinical Research Imaging Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
Dilip Oswal, Department of Radiology, Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust, Wakefield WF1 4DG, United Kingdom
Yalda Alizadeh, Department of Pathology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Leeds LS9 7TF, United Kingdom
Author contributions: All authors have edited and reviewed the manusrcript prior to submission.
Correspondence to: Dr. Saeed Mirsadraee, MD, PhD, FRCR, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Radiology, Honorary Consultant Radiologist, Clinical Research Imaging Centre, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom. saeed.mirsadraee@ed.ac.uk
Telephone: +44-131-2427768 Fax: +44-131-2427773
Received: April 1, 2011
Revised: April 20, 2012
Accepted: April 27, 2012
Published online: April 28, 2012
Abstract

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in males, accounting for more than 1.4 million deaths in 2008. It is a growing concern in China, Asia and Africa as well. Accurate staging of the disease is an important part of the management as it provides estimation of patient’s prognosis and identifies treatment sterategies. It also helps to build a database for future staging projects. A major revision of lung cancer staging has been announced with effect from January 2010. The new classification is based on a larger surgical and non-surgical cohort of patients, and thus more accurate in terms of outcome prediction compared to the previous classification. There are several original papers regarding this new classification which give comprehensive description of the methodology, the changes in the staging and the statistical analysis. This overview is a simplified description of the changes in the new classification and their potential impact on patients’ treatment and prognosis.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms; Neoplasm staging; Lung cancer staging