Commentary: Do we have the right combatants? Should it be minimally invasive surgery versus therapy that removes no lymph nodes?

In this issue of the Journal, Kneuertz and associates1 have reported a 2-institution study comparing lymph node upstaging by means of different surgical platforms: thoracotomy, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and robotic surgery. The study is well done, and the data and statistics are also well done; however, the question asked cannot be answered by this study, nor will it be by any study soon. The reason is simple —the degree of lymph node removal during thoracic cancer surgery comes down to the thoracic surgeon's mind-set more so then the platform he or she chooses for surgery.
Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Commentary Source Type: research