Dr. Costin on Initial Considerations in Early-Stage Lung Cancer

Dan Costin, MD, co-medical director, White Plains Hospital Center for Cancer Care, director, Cancer and Blood Specialists of New York, discusses initial considerations in early-stage lung cancer.

Patients with early-stage lung cancer typically require a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, says Costin. For example, thoracic surgeons, in addition to medical oncologists, will often be involved in initial treatment decisions.

In the early-stage setting, tissue diagnosis and appropriate staging are needed, says Costin. The majority of patients will undergo a CT-guided biopsy or a navigational bronchoscopy to determine tissue diagnosis. For staging, patients typically undergo a PET scan.

For a patient with a confirmed diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer, initial treatment selection is based on factors such as patient comorbidities, surgical eligibility, and results of molecular testing, concludes Costin.