Summary

Accurate clinical staging of patients with non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is essential to optimize treatment and outcomes. This article discusses current perspectives on the surgical treatment of lung cancer, including the revised European Society of Thoracic Surgeons guidelines for preoperative mediastinal lymph node staging for NSCLC. Also discussed are how improvements in imaging and the use of computed tomography imaging for diagnostic workup and screening have led to many small lung cancers being found.