Summary of Key Points The main oncologic emergencies most germane and specific to lung cancer are central airway obstruction, massive hemoptysis, and massive pleural effusion. Central airway obstruction due to lung cancer is traditionally classified as exophytic (intraluminal tumor), extrinsic…
Summary of Key Points Thymic tumors are rare malignancies and represent a wide array of tumors. Histologic classification distinguishes three separate entities: thymomas, thymic carcinomas, and neuroendocrine thymic tumors. Thymomas are characterized by variability in histologic appearance as well as…
Summary of Key Points Neuroendocrine cancers of the lung share some fundamental pathology features but span a broad range of clinical behaviors. The clinical behavior varies with the degree of differentiation: typical carcinoids are more indolent and localized, atypical carcinoids…
Summary of Key Points Knowledge of the anatomy of the mediastinum is critical to establishing the differential diagnosis and choosing the best diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. A wide variety of possible etiologies must be considered including solid and lymphatic malignancies,…
Summary of Key Points Development of malignant mesothelioma is usually associated with asbestos exposure. The most common genetic alterations in mesothelioma are deletion of CDKN2A/ARF , inactivation of NF2 , and mutation or deletion in BAP1. The eighth edition of…
Summary of Key Points Performance status is universally recognized as an independent prognostic factor and typically correlates with the extent of tumor burden. As first-line therapy, platinum agent plus etoposide or irinotecan remains the standard of care for the treatment…
Summary of Key Points Surgery remains the most effective curative approach for early-stage (IA–IIB) NSCLC. Selected cases with clinical stage IIIA disease equally benefit from radical resection. Stereotactic radiotherapy may be an alternative for selected medically inoperable patients. Long-term survival…
Summary of Key Points Immunotherapy has entered a new era in lung cancer and is rapidly changing the standard of care. Vaccines as monotherapies have shown marginal efficacy in certain settings. Program death-1 (PD1) and PD1 ligand (PDL1) inhibitors have…
Summary of Key Points Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), BRAF, C-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1), ret proto-oncogene (RET) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), several antiangiogenesis agents, and antiprogram death 1 (anti-PD1) immunotherapy are effective targeted treatments for lung…
Summary of Key Points Treatment of lung cancer is rapidly evolving. Large cell carcinomas as a group have therapeutically relevant driver mutations in nearly 40% of cases. Despite the recent failures of some agents, in 2015 the US Food and…