Objective:To evaluate the role of spiral CT imaging postprocessing techniques in preoperative TNM staging of lung cancer.Methods:106 patients with pathologically confirmed lung cancer received spiral CT examinations with a new revised TNM staging method of lung cancer which was taken as criterion of diagnosis.The images were reconstructed by using different postprocessing techniques such as MPR,MIP,SSD,VR,and their TNM staging capabilities were assessed by using postprocessing imaging and the results with axial CT images were compared.Results:In T staging,the accurate rates of axial CT images in T1-T4 staging were 77.3%,60.6%,60.7%,and 60.3% respectively;for postprocessing images,the accurate rates were 86.4%,90.9%,89.3%,and 87.0% respectively.In N staging,the accurate rates of axial CT images were 84.6%,68.1%,63.6%,and 64.2% in N0-N3 staging,respectively;but they were 92.3%,90.9%,90.9%,and 85.7% in postpro- cessing images,respectively.The postprocessing images were superior to axial CT images in T1-T3 and N1-N3 staging of lung cancer but there were no significant differences in T1 and NO staging.For metastasis,the postprocessing images may be helpful for the TNM staging of lung cancer.Conclusion:The postprocessing techniques of the spiral CT could improve the accurate rates of TNM staging of lung cancer,and represent a useful complement to the axial CT. Objective: To evaluate the role of spiral CT imaging postprocessing techniques in preoperative TNM staging of lung cancer. Methods: 106 patients with pathologically confirmed lung cancer received spiral CT examinations with a new revised TNM staging method of lung cancer which was taken as criterion of diagnosis The images were reconstructed by using different postprocessing techniques such as MPR, MIP, SSD, VR, and their TNM staging capabilities were assessed by using postprocessing imaging and the results with axial CT images were compared. Results: In T staging, the accurate rates of axial CT images in T1-T4 staging were 77.3%, 60.6%, 60.7% and 60.3% respectively; for postprocessing images, the accurate rates were 86.4%, 90.9%, 89.3%, and 87.0% respectively. In staging, respectively, but they were 92.3%, 90.9%, 90.9%, and 85.7% in postpro- cessing images, respectively. However, the average CT images were 84.6%, 68.1%, 63.6%, and 64.2% in N0- The postprocessing images were superior to axial C T images in T1-T3 and N1-N3 staging of lung cancer but with were no significant differences in T1 and NO staging. For metastasis, the postprocessing images may be helpful for the TNM staging of lung cancer. Confluence: The postprocessing techniques of the spiral CT could improve the accurate rates of TNM staging of lung cancer, and represent a useful complement to the axial CT.