Surgical management of early stage lung cancer

For patients with lung cancer, the greatest hope for cure rests with patients with early stage disease. Surgery has been the standard of care for this group with the best 5-year survival of only 65% being achieved in patients with earliest pathologic Stage IA disease. Using strategies gained from the management of patients with advanced disease, clinicians are investigating the use of perioperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy to improve survival. In addition, biologic and molecular markers are being evaluated to assist in predicting prognosis and to identify those patients at increased risk for recurrent disease. Postoperative surveillance of patients using helical computed tomography (CT) scanning is being investigated to detect early recurrences and second primary lesions. With such treatment and management plans on the horizon, the prognosis of patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be improved.