Recent advances in the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma: The impact of lung cancer screening on histopathologists

Innovations in thoracic radiology and surgery stand as rays of light in the century-long, mostly unsuccessful battle against lung cancer. Early detection, minimally invasive diagnostic procedures and lung-sparing resections have captured the public's attention, yet real progress with declining mortality rates has not been demonstrated. Clinical improvement and scientific progress are greatly dependent on the histopathologist's handling of specimens. Proper diagnosis of malignancy and proper subclassification of pulmonary adenocarcinomas are necessary for accurate therapy and prognostication. It is imperative that histopathologists are aware of changes in the adenocarcinoma classification scheme and practical differential diagnoses with the ever smaller glandular lesions, and that they understand the clinical ramifications of their diagnoses within the context of lung cancer treatment.