Mountain C F
Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Clin Chest Med. 1993 Mar;14(1):43-53.
In presenting the staging system, I recognize that in a given patient the total tumor burden cannot be precisely quantitated, and the balance between host defenses and the heterogeneity of the malignancy is not measurable. These and other complex interacting biological variables will influence the subsequent course of the disease. However, our data support the premise that the straightforward indices of disease extent in the TNM system permit a simple yet valid classification that best reflects prognosis. Patients can be grouped together according to certain measurable common features of their disease so that within each stage group treatment options and survival expectations will be generally similar. In this manner reliable and valid comparisons of the results of different modalities of therapy can be made. Survival data according to staging criteria are a measure of the efficacy of available therapy for lung cancer; thus, the staging information serves as a valuable guide for treatment planning.
在介绍分期系统时，我认识到，对于某一特定患者，肿瘤总负荷无法精确量化，宿主防御与恶性肿瘤异质性之间的平衡也无法测量。这些以及其他复杂的相互作用的生物学变量将影响疾病的后续进程。然而，我们的数据支持这样一个前提，即TNM系统中疾病范围的直接指标允许进行简单而有效的分类，这种分类能最好地反映预后。患者可以根据其疾病的某些可测量的共同特征进行分组，以便在每个分期组内，治疗选择和生存预期通常会相似。通过这种方式，可以对不同治疗方式的结果进行可靠而有效的比较。根据分期标准的生存数据是衡量肺癌现有治疗疗效的指标；因此，分期信息可作为治疗计划的宝贵指导。
