The IASLC/ITMIG Thymic Epithelial Tumors Staging Project: proposal for an evidence-based stage classification system for the forthcoming (8th) edition of the TNM classification of malignant tumors.
A universal and consistent stage classification system, which describes the anatomic extent of a cancer, provides a foundation for communication and collaboration. Thymic epithelial malignancies have seen little progress, in part because of the lack of an official system. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and the International Thymic Malignancies Interest Group assembled a large retrospective database, a multispecialty international committee and carried out extensive analysis to develop proposals for the 8th edition of the stage classification manuals. This tumor, node, metastasis (TNM)-based system is applicable to all types of thymic epithelial malignancies. This article summarizes the proposed definitions of the T, N, and M components and describes how these are combined into stage groups. This represents a major step forward for thymic malignancies.
*Thoracic Surgery, Yale University, New Haven, CT; †Biostatistics, Cancer Research and Biostatistics, Seattle, WA; ‡Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; §Radiation Oncology, Queen's University, Ontario, Canada; ‖Thoracic Surgery, University of Torino, Torino, Italy; ¶Medical Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC; #Thoracic Surgery, Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; **Thoracic Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea; ††Thoracic Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan; ‡‡Thoracic Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; §§Pathology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy; ‖‖Radiology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; ¶¶Pathology, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK; ##Thoracic Surgery, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; ***Thoracic Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium; and ‖‖‖Thoracic Radiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
Frank C
FC
Detterbeck
Kelly
K
Stratton
Dorothy
D
Giroux
Hisao
H
Asamura
John
J
Crowley
Conrad
C
Falkson
Pier Luigi
PL
Filosso
Aletta A
AA
Frazier
Giuseppe
G
Giaccone
James
J
Huang
Jhingook
J
Kim
Kazuya
K
Kondo
Marco
M
Lucchi
Mirella
M
Marino
Edith M
EM
Marom
Andrew G
AG
Nicholson
Meinoshin
M
Okumura
Enrico
E
Ruffini
Paul
P
Van Schil
D015331:Cohort Studies; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology