• most common malignancy in males

• age : > 50 years old

• sex : M>F

TNM classification:

• T1

  • T1a (< 2 cm)

  • T1b (2-3 cm) surrounded by lung or visceral pleura, without invasion more proximal than lobar bronchus

• T2

  • T2a (3-5 cm), T2b (5-7 cm), or tumor with any of the following features:

    • involves main bronchus > 2 cm distal to carina

    • invades visceral pleura

    • associated with atelectasis or obstructive pneumonitis that extends to the hilar region but does not involve the entire lung

• T3

  • tumor > 7 cm or any of the following

  • directly invades any of the following: chest wall, diaphragm, phrenic nerve, mediastinal pleura, parietal pericardium, main bronchus < 2 cm from carina without involvement of the carina

  • atelectasis or obstructive pneumonitis of the entire lung

  • separate tumor nodules in the same lobe

• T4

  • tumor of any size that invades the mediastinum, heart, great vessels, trachea, recurrent laryngeal nerve, esophagus, vertebral body, carina, or with separate tumor nodules in ipsilateral lobe.