A systematic review of the interobserver variability for histology in the differentiation between squamous and nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer.

Summary: Lung cancer treatment relies heavily on identifying the specific type of cancer cells present. Doctors use microscopes to distinguish between "squamous" and "non-squamous" types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). But do different doctors see the same thing? This systematic review analyzed six major studies to see if pathologists agree on these diagnoses. The results showed a high level of agreement (77% to 94%) between experts. This confirms that current pathology methods are reliable enough to guide important decisions about chemotherapy and targeted treatments for patients.