How does definition of 'complete resection' conduct surgical management of non-small cell lung cancer?

The term 'complete resection' is traditionally defined as a desired surgical procedure if a considerable survival benefit is anticipated in patients with NSCLC. From a surgeon's viewpoint, it is therefore of great importance in patient selection for thoracotomy. In this setting, one might assume that well-known definitions of Naruke and Mountain with different meanings would subsequently result in a number of conflicting influences. As a result, patient selection criteria for surgery, the role and reliability of invasive staging procedures and futile thoracotomy rates are unavoidably conducted by the definition preferred. Interpretation of the outcomes from the series with different attitudes may also be misleading. Thus, outset of the surgical management of NSCLC should be based on the definition and preferences associated with complete resection. To conclude, if we could depict a universally accepted definition of complete resection which could also easily be attributable to the existing guidelines; contribution of surgery would have been more clearly outlined among other treatment modalities. This will in turn, not only eliminate most of the confusion that a surgeon might have in his/her mind regarding the matter, but might also provide a more stronger evidence for the role of surgery in the long term.