Surgical Procedures
Surgery is performed in the following circumstances:
- The surgical removal of an entire lobe or parts of a lung is the primary treatment for eligible patients in early stages of cancer. Recurrence is high after surgery, although the new tumor is often operable.
- Some patients with stage IIIA cancer may also benefit from surgery (although a cure at this stage is virtually nonexistent).
- Surgery is not out of the question in rare cases of metastasis when the cancer appears in a single operable location, such as the brain.
Unfortunately, lung surgery may be too risky for patients with other lung diseases or serious medical conditions, and because lung cancers tend to occur in smokers over 50, such health problems are likely to be present. Long-term survival rates appear to be better in patients treated at hospitals that perform large numbers of lung cancer surgeries and when surgeries are performed by thoracic surgeons, who specialize in chest procedures.
Standard Surgical Procedures
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The type of surgery depends on the amount of lung or other tissue that needs to be removed.
Wedge Resection or Segmentectomy. Wedge resection and segmentectomy remove only a small part of the lung; consequently, they preserve almost normal breathing function after the operation.
Lobectomy. Removal of one of the lobes of the lung is called lobectomy. The patient's lung function must be adequate before undergoing this procedure. The operation carries an overall mortality rate of 3% to 5%, with older patients having the highest risk.
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Click the icon to see an illustrated series detailing surgery to remove diseased lobes of the lung. |
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