Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Staging

The diagnosis and staging of lung cancer involves three central components: clinical presentation, radiographic imaging, and histopathologic evaluation. There are a number of different types of lung cancer, the most common of which is non-small cell lung cancer. Chest imaging with computed tomography (CT) scanning defines suspicious lesions and potential locoregional lymphadenopathy. Techniques for tissue biopsy include CT-guided transthoracic percutaneous approach, bronchoscopic biopsy, and surgical biopsy. Lung cancer is clinically staged by imaging of the primary tumor, chest lymph nodes, and locations of distant metastasis based on the American Joint Commission on Cancer, TNM 8th edition lung cancer staging system. This chapter highlights the overlapping nature of diagnosis and staging of lung cancer in clinical practice.