Spectrum of Lung Adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer death in the United States of America and worldwide despite continued advances in lung cancer screening as well as surgical, medical, and radiation oncological treatments. Adenocarcinoma is the most common histological subtype of primary lung cancer and has recently been reorganized into a spectrum ranging from preinvasive lesions to invasive adenocarcinoma. An understanding of the pathology, diagnosis, and management of the spectrum of lung adenocarcinoma is more important than ever, considering the central role of the radiologist. The aim of this review is to describe the subtypes of the lung adenocarcinoma spectrum in terms of histological and imaging features, their pattern of growth on imaging, management, staging, and evolving knowledge of tumor genetics.