[Video-assisted thoracic surgery for pulmonary metastasis of colorectal cancer]

The effect of surgical procedures for survival of cases with pulmonary metastasis from colorectal cancer was examined retrospectively. In the literature, some factors such as timing of surgery, numbers of metastases, site of laterality, lesion in lymph nodes, extra-pulmonary metastases and serum CEA level have been considered to exert influence on surgical treatment for pulmonary metastasis of colorectal cancer. On the other hand, no significant differences have been in the literature and our hospital found between open thoracotomy and thoracoscopic surgery, lobectomy and limited resection, and with and without lymph node dissection. Therefore, less invasive and limited resection using thoracoscopy should be attempted in surgical treatment of pulmonary metastasis of colorectal cancer.