[Conservative treatment of bronchogenic cancers: lobectomy with excision-anastomosis and limited excision]

Lung cancer resection surgery often reduces the respiratory function to the point that it can preclude pneumonectomy or even standard lobectomy. When these usual operations are impossible for functional reasons more restricted procedures can be performed, local conditions permitting. Thus, lobectomy with resection anastomosis may be a suitable alternative to pneumonectomy, and segmental resection may be considered when standard lobectomy is rejected. However, this conservative surgery can be envisaged only when it does not risk to affect the quality of the long-term results. While lobectomy enlarged to the bronchial tree has proved to be justified for the treatment of cancers without lymph node invasion, limited resections give uncertain results and must be regarded as an alternative to surgical abstention.