Non-small cell lung cancer: role of surgery for stages I-III

Survival following surgical resection of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has improved since the 1960s, although the 5-year survival rate remains low. This article provides an overview of the role of surgery for NSCLC stages I-III, with a focus on optimizing long-term survival in those patients with resectable disease. Topics explored include diagnosis and staging, indications for resection, types of resection, and indications for adjuvant therapy. A review of the literature indicates a clear survival advantage for complete resection, and is suggestive of an advantage for mediastinal lymph node dissection (vs lymph node sampling) and neoadjuvant therapy (vs adjuvant therapy).