[Selection criterion of limited operation for lung cancer as a radical operation]

We reviewed partial resection and segmentectomy for 75 cases (6.5%) out of 1,212 cases treated surgically for primary lung cancer between 1957 and 1996. The surgical results of limited operation in radicality group and risk group was comparable to that of standard operation for the stage I lung cancer. Five-year survival of clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer patients that tumor size is 2.0 cm or less was excellent (88.9%). Although risk group may be the best candidates for limited surgery, careful patient selection and theoretical operative procedure could make limited operation a standard procedure in radicality group.