An important factor that helps oncologists and surgeons decide whether aggressive chemotherapy and or surgery will be effective in treating cancerous tumours is a system of tumour classification. A recent overhaul to this system has opened new opportunities for thousands of patients with lung cancer previously classified as inoperable or beyond treatment.

• Dr. Peter Goldstraw, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon at Royal Brompton Hospital and Professor of Thoracic Surgery at Imperial College and researcher with the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)