Le. Quint et al., PREOPERATIVE STAGING OF NON-SMALL-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LUNG - IMAGING METHODS, American journal of roentgenology, 164(6), 1995, pp. 1349-1359
Preoperative tumor staging in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer
is important for selecting those patients with localized disease who
are likely to benefit from surgical resection. The TNM staging system
of the American Joint Committee on Cancer is the most widely accepted
and used classification system for preoperative and postoperative stag
ing [1] (Table 1). Small-cell carcinoma has a very different biologic
behavior and Is classified and treated differently; it will not be dis
cussed in this imaging review. Chest radiography is the preferred init
ial imaging technique for patients with known or suspected lung cancer
because of its availability, low cost, low radiation dose, and sensit
ivity [2], CT and MR imaging of the chest and abdomen are often used t
o stage a known or suspected lung carcinoma. Various nuclear medicine
procedures may be used to aid in the staging process and to assess the
patient's medical status for surgery, including cardiac and pulmonary
function. This article reviews the major imaging techniques that are
currently used to stage primary non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung.
Although evaluation of distant metastatic disease is highly important
in these patients, discussion of the imaging methods used far this pur
pose is beyond the scope of this article.