Hilar fat invasion is a poorly defined and inconsistently interpreted lung carcinoma staging parameter

Hilar fat invasion raises the T category of otherwise pT1 lung carcinomas to pT2a. Pathologists were surveyed to better understand their awareness and interpretation of hilar fat invasion.

Pathologists interested in pulmonary pathology were invited to participate in an online survey of hilar fat invasion assessment.

Of 80 respondents, 58% considered hilar fat any fat that is outside the lung but inside the pleural reflection, 32% considered it to be fat inside the pleural reflection near hilar lymph nodes around the main bronchus, and 10% were uncertain or had a different definition. When asked which pT designation is most appropriate for a lobectomy specimen with a pT1-sized invasive carcinoma that directly invades the fat around the lobar bronchus but does not involve the lobar bronchus margin, 69% indicated pT1c, 23% chose pT2a, and 8% were unsure/other. For a pneumonectomy specimen with a pT1-sized invasive carcinoma that directly invades the fat around both the lobar and main bronchus but does not extend beyond the pleural reflection or involve the main bronchus margin, 48% assigned pT2a, 39% chose pT1c, and 13% were unsure/other.

There is a lack of consensus among pathologists as to what constitutes hilar fat invasion, resulting in considerable interobserver variability in pT categorization. Making hilar fat invasion a standard pT designation could improve awareness, and defining the anatomic boundaries of hilar fat could result in greater consistency in assigning a pT category to tumors that extend into fat outside the lung.