The international system for staging lung cancer.

The International System for Staging Lung Cancer is a consistent, reproducible 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 categories and consistency for reporting the end results for Stage I, Stage II, and Stage IIIA disease are provided. Survival data support the revised categories and confirm the significant relationship between the extent of the disease and prognosis for patients with this disease. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.