Chinese Medical Association guideline for clinical diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer (2024 edition)

Abstract

To further standardize lung cancer prevention and treatment measures in China, enhance the quality of diagnosis and treatment, improve patient prognosis, and provide evidence-based medical guidance for clinicians at all levels, the Chinese Medical Association convened experts from respiratory medicine, oncology, thoracic surgery, radiotherapy, imaging, and pathology to develop the Chinese Medical Association's Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines for Lung Cancer (2024 edition). This consensus resulted in several updates from the 2023 version. The 2024 guidelines highlight that the risk of lung cancer in smokers remains higher than that of non-smokers even 15 years after quitting. Additionally, a new lung cancer incidence risk model is expected to become a critical tool for screening high-risk groups. In pathology, the guidelines now include pathological evaluation of surgically resected lung cancer specimens following neoadjuvant therapy and suggest that immunohistochemical staining of certain transcription factors may aid in the classification of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In molecular detection, the guidelines propose simultaneous detection of driver gene variations based on both RNA and DNA from specimens. The new edition also provides detailed descriptions of patient selection and surgical requirements for thoracic sub-lobectomy, aligned with the 9th TNM staging. Moreover, the guidelines expand treatment options, approving more therapies for immunoadjuvant and EGFR-TKI resistant lung cancer patients, as well as additional drug options for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR mutations, EGFR 20 insertions, ALK fusions, and MET exon 14 skipping. These recommendations are based on state-approved drug applications, international guidelines, and current clinical practices in China, integrating the latest evidence-based medical research in screening, diagnosis, pathology, genetic testing, immune molecular marker detection, treatment methods, and follow-up care. The goal is to provide comprehensive and reasonable recommendations for clinicians, imaging specialists, laboratory technicians, rehabilitation professionals, and other medical staff at all levels.