[The IASLC lung cancer staging project. Comparing the current 6(th) TNM edition with the proposed 7(th) edition]

The future 7th edition of TNM classification for lung cancer will be published in 2009 and comprises the IASLC recommendations for TNM parameters. The general staging of lung cancer includes the new parameters: reclassification of tumours larger than 7 cm from T2 to T3; extra tumoral nodules will change their category to T3, T4 and M1 when in the same, ipsilateral or contralateral lobe, respectively; pleural effusion will be M1a. With these alterations, cases staged as IB - T2b N0 M0 will be IIA, cases staged IIB - T2a N1 M0 will be IIA and cases IIIB- T4 N0- -1 M0 will be IIIA. The 7(th) TNM edition recommendations were applied to 203 broncho -pulmonary carcinomas, concerning epidermoid carcinomas (83) and adenocarcinomas (120) registered in the archive of the Serviço de Anatomia Patológica of the Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra - Portugal, previously submitted to surgical resection and lymph node excision. The following alterations will be kept as the application of the future 7(th) TNM edition: 20 cases in stage IB will move to stage IIA (17) and stage IIB (3); 18 cases will change from stage IIB to stage IIA (17) and 1 case to stage IIIA; 2 cases from stage IIIB will move to stage IV; 6 cases in stage IV will move to stage IIIA (5) and 1 case to stage IIIB. In this translational adaptation from 6th to 7th TNM staging, 51 out of the 203 analysed cases change their staging, corresponding to 25.1%.