Defining Quality in Lung Cancer Surgery: Invasive Staging and Mediastinal Lymphadenectomy

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with an overall 5 year survival rate of 27%. Global lung cancer cases are forecasted to increase 86.2% from 2.48 million in 2022 to 4.62 million in 2050. This rise reflects an aging population and persistent risk factors including smoking, air pollution and occupational exposures. In this context, optimizing surgical outcomes is critical, as pulmonary resection remains the primary curative treatment of early stage disease. Quality in lung cancer surgery hinges on preoperative staging and surgical technique. The global burden of lung cancer demands that these quality gaps are addressed.