Lung Cancer Lymph Node Staging: The Radiologist's Cheat Sheet

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) lymph node map is a standardized system used to describe the location of lymph nodes in the chest. It's widely used in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of lung cancer.

The map divides the chest into 14 zones, which are numbered from 1 to 14, with each zone corresponding to a specific location of the lymph nodes, based on anatomical landmarks surrounding the lymph nodes. Some of these zones are further divided into subzones.

The IASLC lymph node map provides a common language for clinicians, radiologists, and pathologists to communicate and accurately describe the location of lymph nodes in relation to the tumor. This information is essential for determining the stage of lung cancer and developing an appropriate treatment plan.

The IASLC lymph map is also helpful in guiding surgical interventions, such as lymph node dissection or sampling. Surgeons can use the map to identify the lymph nodes that are most likely to contain cancerous cells and remove them during surgery.

The IASLC lymph node map is regularly updated to reflect the latest advances in thoracic imaging and surgical techniques. It's widely recognized as the standard for describing lymph node involvement in lung cancer and is used by healthcare providers around the world.

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:37 - TNM Staging System for Lung Cancer
01:49 - Overview of Regional Lymph Node (N) Category Scoring
03:10 - How Maps Matter
04:24 - The 14 IASLC Lymph Node Stations
08:29 - Distinguishing Subcarinal vs. Other Mediastinal Lymph Nodes
09:31 - Distinguishing Right Hilar vs. Right Mediastinal Lymph Nodes
09:58 - Distinguishing Left Hilar vs. Left Mediastinal Lymph Nodes
10:38 - Distinguishing Lower Cervical vs. Upper Mediastinal Lymph Nodes
12:40 - Distinguishing Right Mediastinal vs. Left Mediastinal Lymph Nodes
15:35 - "Precarinal" Lymph Nodes
16:28 - What's a Positive Lymph Node?