Surgical treatment of stage III non-small cell lung cancer

The resectability of NSCLC is determined by its stage. The surgical treatment in stage I and II NSCLC remains a golden standard. Stage IIIA NSCLC constitutes a non-homogenous group, and many patients are potentially non-resectable. The patients in stage IIIA NSCLC also constitute a non-homogenous group. The patients in stage T3N1 usually undergo surgical resection, but many patients with N2 disease are disqualified from surgical treatment due to the negative prognostic factors. The negative prognostic factors comprise: (1) metastases to upper paratracheal (no 2), anterior paratracheal (no 3), and subcarinal (no 7) lymph nodes; (2) metastases to multiple mediastinal lymph nodes; (3) occurrence of the so called 'bulky disease'; (4) capsular lymph node invasion. The occurrence of one of these negative prognostic factors disqualifies the patient with N2 disease from radical surgical treatment. In more advanced cases, i.e. stage IIIB, and stage IV NSCLC, patients are rarely operated. It regards the patients in stage T4 N1, and in M1 disease with a single metastasis (mainly to CNS) accompanied by the stage I, or II, of the primary focus. In these cases N2 disease always constitutes the contraindication to the surgical treatment. Multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of NSCLC is supposed to improve the results of the treatment of NSCLC.