Evolving Concepts in the Pathology and Computed Tomography Imaging of Lung Adenocarcinoma and Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma

Purpose To review recent advances in pathology and computed tomography (CT) of lung adenocarcinoma and bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC). Methods A pathology/CT review panel of pathologists and radiologists met during a November 2004 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Society of Clinical Oncology consensus workshop in New York. The purpose was to determine if existing data was sufficient to propose modification of criteria for adenocarcinoma and BAC as newly published in the 2004 WHO Classification of Lung Tumors, and to address the pathologic/radiologic concept of diffuse/multicentric BAC. Results Solitary small, peripheral BACs have an excellent prognosis. Most lung adenocarcinomas with a BAC pattern are not pure BAC, but rather adenocarcinoma, mixed subtype with invasive patterns. This applies to tumors presenting with a diffuse/multinodular as well as solitary nodule pattern. The percent of BAC versus invasive components in lung adenocarcinomas appears to be prognosticall...