Pancoast tumor: use of MRI for tumor staging

Pancoast tumors (superior sulcus tumors) are apical lung cancers that may cause any or all of the symptoms originally described in 1932 as Pancoast's syndrome. We have presented a case report and a review of pertinent literature on the treatment of this tumor. Our patient was treated with preoperative radiation and en bloc tumor resection, the current standard of care for cure of Pancoast tumor. We support an aggressive approach in the treatment of this tumor, as radiation followed by radical tumor resection offers good palliation and the best chance for cure. Magnetic resonance imaging has emerged as the procedure of choice to assess the local extent of tumor, and in our patient, MRI accurately predicted that the tumor was resectable.