Sublobar Resection: Ongoing Controversy for Treatment for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Despite a prospective randomized trial that reported decreased locoregional recurrence for the intentional use of sublobar resection for stage IA non-small cell lung cancer, it continues to be a point of considerable debate. Improved imaging techniques have introduced a large group of smaller and more indolent tumors than what was studied 20 years ago by the Lung Cancer Study Group. Multiple single-institution and population-based analyses suggest that sublobar resections may have equivalent outcomes to lobectomy in well-selected patients with small (<2 cm) resections, and in whom an adequate resection margin can be achieved.