title: Pancoast tumor: a modern perspective on an old problem.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pancoast tumors, also known as superior sulcus tumors, to this day remain a complex and challenging condition. This review will explore the evolution of the treatment of these tumors over the better part of a century. It will illustrate how with a multidisciplinary approach and the use of trimodality therapy this entity has evolved from a universally fatal disease to one that is treatable with outcomes similar to those of other stage-matched nonsmall cell lung cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Southwest Oncology Group 9416 Intergroup 0160 trial reported in 2007 By Rusch et al. culminated years of research showing that trimodality therapy with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery provided optimal outcomes. Since that time, there have been studies corroborating these outcomes and utilization of novel surgical approaches including Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery; however, no change in survival has been reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment of tumors of the superior sulcus has evolved over the years, so that outcomes approach those of other stage-matched nonsmall cell carcinomas. In the future, new approaches, perhaps the detailed genetic analysis of tumors and guided treatments, will have a positive impact on nonsmall cell carcinomas. The tumors of the superior sulcus will hopefully follow suit in their improved outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Great Neck, New York 11021, USA.
authors.forename: Lawrence R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Glassman
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hyman
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010178:Pancoast Syndrome / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012371:Robotics / Q000639:trends; D015996:Survival Rate; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome