International association for the study of lung cancer (IASLC) lymph node map: radiologic review with CT illustration

Abstract

Accurate clinical or pretreatment stage classification of lung cancer leads to optimal treatment outcomes and improved prognostication. Such classification requires an accurate assessment of the clinical extent of regional lymph node metastasis. Consistent and reproducible regional lymph node designations facilitate reliable assessment of the clinical extent of regional lymph node metastasis. Regional lymph node maps, such as the Naruke lymph node map and the Mountain-Dresler modification of the American Thoracic Society lymph node map, were proposed for this purpose in the past. The most recent regional lymph node map to be published is the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) lymph node map. The IASLC lymph node map supersedes all previous maps and should be used in tandem with the current seventh edition of the tumor, node, metastasis stage classification for lung cancer.