Commentary: Minimally-invasive surgery in N2 Stage IIIA lung cancer: time for caution not time to throw caution to the wind

When initially introduced, minimally-invasive (thoracoscopic and later robotic) surgery (MIS) for lung cancer resection was limited to peripheral stage I lung cancers without chest wall involvement and without hilar and mediastinal adenopathy.1 With experience, thoracic surgeons subsequently learned to perform more challenging MIS resections, including those with hilar adenopathy and tumors requiring sleeve lobectomy or pneumonectomy.1 One of the greatest challenges that thoracic surgeons face, even utilizing thoracotomy, is the resection of N2 stage IIIA lung cancer, particularly following induction chemo(radio)therapy.
Source: Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: THORACIC – Commentary Source Type: research