Thoracic neoplasms: imaging requirements for diagnosis and staging

This article reviews the pathophysiology of thoracic neoplasms and discusses current imaging recommendations for diagnosis and staging of these tumors. Particular emphasis is given to primary lung cancers, which comprise a variety of tumors of differing histologic type and behavior. The development of cost-effective diagnostic/staging sequences with continually changing imaging technology continues to be a challenging goal. Our recommendations are based on the TNM system and data from the current literature employing the experience from our institution.