First AD

Second AD

Martin Dietrich, MD, PhD, is a medical oncologist with The US Oncology Network Cancer Care Centers of Brevard and an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando, Florida.

Mark Socinski, MD, is a medical oncologist and the executive medical director of the AdventHealth Cancer Institute in Orlando, Florida.

The oncologists delve into the specifics of which non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to test. They recommend testing all non-squamous cases and, increasingly, squamous cases as well, especially those with a light smoking history, to ensure no actionable biomarker is missed.

NSCLC Case Study 1: Staging & Diagnostic Workup for a Lung Nodule

Expert oncologists outline the diagnostic workup for a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient case. The patient is a 58-year-old former light smoker presenting with a 4.2 cm lung mass and suspicious lymph node involvement on imaging (CT scan and PET-CT), suggesting possible stage III disease.

The oncologists emphasize that determining the precise intrathoracic stage is critical, as it directly impacts treatment options. The primary goal is to confirm both the diagnosis and the pathological status of the lymph nodes. The recommended first step is an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) biopsy.

This procedure is favored for its safety and efficacy in tissue procurement, allowing for simultaneous diagnosis and accurate lymph node staging. The experts stress the importance of a multidisciplinary review to decide between EBUS or mediastinoscopy based on the specific node size and location visible on the CT scan.

Video Series

Clinical

® Clinical Focus page includes a listing of all specialities covered across  OncLive.com, including breast cancer, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, genitourinary cancers, hematologic malignancies, and gynecologic cancers. Each individual specialty page features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts that focus on unmet needs, treatment advances in both the localized and metastatic settings, and ongoing research.
