Limited surgery and radiofrequency ablation for recurrent lung cancer

A 72-year-old man who had been diagnosed with second recurrent lung cancer was referred for consideration of a surgical resection. He had undergone a right upper lobectomy with bronchoplasty for the primary lung cancer and stereotactic radiation therapy for the first recurrent tumor. Owing to the comorbid diseases, video-assisted wedge resection and radiofrequency ablation were performed for the second recurrent tumor. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged home without complaints. Eighteen months after surgery, he is alive without recurrence. These procedures are minimally invasive and may decrease the local recurrence of lung cancer in properly selected patients.