RECENT ADVANCES IN MANAGING NON-SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER .2. SURGERY

Surgery can be curative in non-small-cell lung cancer, but has only a minor role in small-cell lung cancer. About two-thirds of patients wit h non-small-cell lung cancer present with advanced disease that cannot be treated surgically. Lymph node involvement alone does not indicate inoperable or incurable cancer. Lobectomy in patients with Stage I di sease results in a five-year survival rate of 70%. Lobectomy or pneumo nectomy with resection of involved nodes in patients with Stage II dis ease has a five-year survival rate of 40%-45%. Carefully selected pati ents with Stage IIIA disease may benefit from surgical treatment.