The 9th edition TNM staging of lung cancer

Roqiah Fatmawati Abdul Kadir
Al-Sultan Abdullah Hospital, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

The 9th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system for lung cancer introduces key refinements aimed at improving prognostic accuracy and guiding clinical management more effectively. This lecture will provide a comprehensive overview of the most significant updates, including revised T-descriptors based on tumour size and invasion patterns, modifications in nodal (N) classification, and refined M staging. Emphasis will be placed on the rationale and challenges behind these changes, and their clinical implications. Case-based examples will be used to highlight how the new staging criteria affect real-world decision-making. Attendees will gain practical insights into integrating the 9th edition staging into multidisciplinary cancer care.