Contemporary Lung Cancer Nodal Staging and Evolving Therapeutic Paradigms
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 8
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The ninth edition of the TNM classification revised the nodal staging system by distinguishing between single-station and multi-station N2 disease. However, a standardized definition of “clinical” N staging based on radiologic findings or minimally invasive nodal assessment techniques remains lacking. Consequently, the current clinical TNM staging is largely based on radiologic evaluation. In addition, no formal radiologic criteria exist for defining positive N1 disease; in clinical practice, the N2 criteria—such as a short-axis diameter exceeding 1 cm—are often applied to N1 nodes as well, despite limited validation.
With the advancement of lung cancer therapies, particularly effective neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments, accurate and reproducible nodal staging has become increasingly important for optimal patient selection and treatment planning. This Special Issue aims to address the current limitations in clinical nodal staging, explore challenges in radiologic and invasive assessment of N1 and N2 disease, and discuss emerging strategies and technologies for achieving more precise diagnosis and treatment in lung cancer care.
Dr. Takahiro Nakajima
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- ninth TNM classification
- nodal staging
- endoscopic/endobronchial ultrasound
- neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy
- biomarker testing
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