The international system for staging lung cancer

The International System for Staging Lung Cancer is a consistent, reproduci ble classification for the anatomic extent of disease in patients with lung cancer. A revision of the system in use since 1986 included modifications of the rules for stage grouping the TNM (T-primary tumor, N-regional lymph nodes, and M-distant metastasis) anatomic subsets, More specific stage cate gories and consistency for reporting the end results for Stage I, Stage II, and Stage IIIA disease are provided. Survival data support the revised cat egories and confirm the significant relationship between the extent of the disease and prognosis for patients with this disease. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.