Controversies in Lung Cancer: When to Resect with Compromised Pulmonary Function

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide among both men and women. Patients with lung cancer frequently have impaired pulmonary function, usually secondary to smoking-related chronic obstructive lung disease. Numerous techniques have been used to evaluate the postsurgical risk. These techniques include preoperative pulmonary function test, 6-minute walk test, stage 1 cardiopulmonary exercise test, 2D echocardiography, and quantitative ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy.