Radical operation using cardiopulmonary bypass for lung cancer invading the aortic wall

We report data on two patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer invading the aorta, who underwent successful radical operation under cardiopulmonary bypass. One patient (case 1) has been followed up for more than 16 months after the operation without any evidence of local recurrence of the tumor or distal metastases. Although this surgical intervention for an advanced lung cancer invading the aortic wall might be a challenge, we believe that such an aggressive surgical intervention is justified if cure is anticipated.