Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Thoracoscopic Extended Right Middle Plus Lower Sleeve Lobectomy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Published on: February 27, 2026
Long term survival with thoracoscopic versus open lobectomy: propensity matched comparative analysis using
Subroto Paul1, Abby J Isaacs2, Tom Treasure3
1Department of Health Policy and Research, Patient Centered Comparative Effectiveness Program, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA pas2022@med.cornell.edu.
Minimally invasive thoracoscopic lobectomy offers similar long-term survival outcomes, including overall, disease-free, and cancer-specific survival, compared to traditional thoracotomy lobectomy for lung cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Thoracic Surgery
- Surgical Oncology
- Pulmonary Medicine
Background:
- Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide.
- Lobectomy remains a standard surgical treatment for early-stage lung cancer.
- Minimally invasive techniques like thoracoscopic lobectomy are increasingly adopted.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare long-term survival after minimally invasive thoracoscopic lobectomy versus thoracotomy lobectomy for lung cancer.
- To evaluate the impact of surgical approach on overall survival, disease-free survival, and cancer-specific survival.
Main Methods:
- A propensity-matched analysis was conducted using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database.
- The study included patients who underwent lobectomy for lung cancer between 2007 and 2009.
- A total of 1195 patients in each treatment group (thoracoscopic vs. thoracotomy) were matched.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences in three-year overall survival were observed between thoracoscopic and thoracotomy lobectomy groups (70.6% vs. 68.1%, P=0.55).
- Disease-free survival at three years was also similar between the two surgical approaches (86.2% vs. 85.4%, P=0.46).
- Cancer-specific survival at three years showed no significant difference (92% vs. 89.5%, P=0.05).
Conclusions:
- Thoracoscopic lobectomy is associated with comparable long-term survival outcomes to thoracotomy lobectomy.
- Minimally invasive surgical techniques do not appear to compromise survival measures after lobectomy for lung cancer.
- These findings support the use of thoracoscopic lobectomy as a safe and effective treatment option.
