From cytology to systems pathology: Decoding the molecular heterogeneity of resectable non-small-cell lung cancer

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 85% of lung malignancies and the predominant cause of cancer deaths globally. The development of molecular diagnostics has revolutionized pathology, shifting the field from a morphological endeavor to a predictive, integrative science. This transition – sometimes called systems pathology – is the result of a convergence between cytology, molecular diagnostics and computational analytics aimed at better understanding tumor heterogeneity to personalize therapies. Pathologist plays a central role in resectable NSCLC, when surgery is combined with target therapy and immunotherapy. Precise definition of tumor biology not only better predicts outcome but also increasingly informs perioperative management. It is thus crucial to comprehend the cellular/molecular heterogeneity in NSCLC to connect carry modes and precision oncology. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, transform, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.