The 2015 World Health Organization Classification of Lung Tumors: Impact of Genetic, Clinical and Radiologic Advances Since the 2004 Classification.
The 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors of the Lung, Pleura, Thymus and Heart has just been published with numerous important changes from the 2004 WHO classification. The most significant changes in this edition involve (1) use of immunohistochemistry throughout the classification, (2) a new emphasis on genetic studies, in particular, integration of molecular testing to help personalize treatment strategies for advanced lung cancer patients, (3) a new classification for small biopsies and cytology similar to that proposed in the 2011 Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society classification, (4) a completely different approach to lung adenocarcinoma as proposed by the 2011 Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society classification, (5) restricting the diagnosis of large cell carcinoma only to resected tumors that lack any clear morphologic or immunohistochemical differentiation with reclassification of the remaining former large cell carcinoma subtypes into different categories, (6) reclassifying squamous cell carcinomas into keratinizing, nonkeratinizing, and basaloid subtypes with the nonkeratinizing tumors requiring immunohistochemistry proof of squamous differentiation, (7) grouping of neuroendocrine tumors together in one category, (8) adding NUT carcinoma, (9) changing the term sclerosing hemangioma to sclerosing pneumocytoma, (10) changing the name hamartoma to "pulmonary hamartoma," (11) creating a group of PEComatous tumors that include (a) lymphangioleiomyomatosis, (b) PEComa, benign (with clear cell tumor as a variant) and
Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York. Electronic address: travisw@mskcc.org.
William D
WD
Travis
Dept d'Anatomie et Cytologie Pathologiques, CHU Albert Michallon, University Joseph Fourier; INSERM U823 Institut Albert Bonniot, Grenoble, France.
Elisabeth
E
Brambilla
Department of Pathology, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Andrew G
AG
Nicholson
Department of Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center, Nagoya, Japan.
Yasushi
Y
Yatabe
Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
John H M
JHM
Austin
Department of Pathology, Ichan School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, New York, New York.
Mary Beth
MB
Beasley
Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Lucian R
LR
Chirieac
Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Sanja
S
Dacic
Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, The John Flynn Hospital, Tugun, Queensland, Australia.
Edwina
E
Duhig
Department of Pathology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Douglas B
DB
Flieder
Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.
Kim
K
Geisinger
University of Colorado Cancer Center UCHSC, Aurora, Colorado.
Fred R
FR
Hirsch
Department of Pathology, The JFCR Cancer Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
Yuichi
Y
Ishikawa
Department of Pathology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Keith M
KM
Kerr
Department of Pathology; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
Masayuki
M
Noguchi
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.
Giuseppe
G
Pelosi
Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Ichan School of Medicine at Mt Siai, New York, New York.
Charles A
CA
Powell
Department of Pathology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Ming Sound
MS
Tsao
Department of Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
Ignacio
I
Wistuba
D005260:Female; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D014944:World Health Organization / Q000458:organization & administration*