The pathology of carcinoma of the lung

This chapter provides a brief description of the pathology of the most common primary lung carcinomas. While the basic morphologic concepts have remained nearly constant for many years, much has been learned from application of electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Application of DNA probes is just beginning, but it promises to further expand our understanding of the biology of these tumors. Clinical behavior and staging are discussed elsewhere in this issue. Since both stage and histologic type of a given lung tumor are important factors in determining management, with the increasing utilization of less invasive procedures for tissue sampling, it is essential for the pathologist to rely on new technological advances to make accurate diagnoses.