Results of Pulmonary Resection: Colorectal Carcinoma

Whether pulmonary metastasectomy improves survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer is controversial. Wedge resection is the most common form of surgical intervention. When anatomic resection is required, segmentectomy may be preferable to lobectomy for preservation of lung parenchyma. Each intervention to remove metastatic pulmonary parenchymal disease should consider future disease recurrence. Nonoperative modalities, such as radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, and microwave ablation, are becoming more popular regarding parenchymal preservation. The future may embrace complex risk-profile analysis including molecular markers, nomograms to predict survival, and hybrid treatment approaches. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are used with increased frequency, making reoperative metastasectomy less tedious.