Download Surgery Options Comparison for Early Stage Lung Cancer

Subject: There are Treatments for Lung Cancer - Know Your Options
For patients who have been diagnosed with lung cancer, treatment options vary by the stage of lung cancer. Depending
on the stage, surgery may be a treatment option. If the cancer has not spread, the surgical removal of the cancerous
tissue (resection) can be one of the most effective treatments.
The most common surgical procedures for the treatment of lung cancer are:
Wedge resection / segmentectomy – removal of a part of the lung lobe
Lobectomy – removal of one of the lobes of the lungs
Pneumonectomy – removal of the entire lung
Advances in technology have made Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) possible for the treatment of lung cancer
and other lung diseases.
VATS can be used to take biopsies (tissue samples from the body) to determine the presence of lung disease. It can also
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be effective for removing diseased lung tissue (tumors) in the lungs or chest cavity. VATS may be appropriate when
cancer is in an early stage (Stage 1 or Stage 2). Consult your physician to find out if VATS is appropriate for your
condition.
Surgery Options Comparison for Early Stage Lung Cancer2
Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery
Open Thoracic Surgery
•
•
•
•
•
Surgery performed through two to four
1 cm ports using a thoracoscope
(small video camera)
Hospital stay is 1 to 3 days
Recovery in as little as 1 week
Minimal scarring
•
•
•
Surgery is performed through a 6 to 10 inch
incision in the chest and the ribs are spread
apart
Hospital stay is 5 to 7 days
Recovery in about 4 to 6 weeks
Scar 6 to 10 inches long
These comparisons are variable; surgical techniques, hospitalization and recovery may differ.
Patients can take an active role in making decisions about their treatment of lung cancer. Encourage the ones
you love to talk to their physician about their options.
Learn more about lung cancer or find a surgeon for VATS at www.smarterpatient.com/lungcancer.
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2.
McKenna RJ Jr, Houck W. Fuller CB. Video assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy: experience with 1,100 cases. Ann Thorac Surg. 2006; 81(2): 421-425.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Video assisted lung and chest surgery. (VATS). (Online). Available at
http://www.lungcancer.medicine.pitt.edu/content.asp?id=2086
DSL11-0809