Lung cancer is a disease that affects the lungs, and lung cancer surgery is used to remove tumors and other growths from the lungs and surrounding areas. Surgery for lung cancer can be done in one of two ways: thoracotomy or video-assisted THORACOSCOPIC SURGERY (VATS). In both procedures, an incision is made through the chest wall, allowing access to the lungs. After removing part or all of affected tissue, surgeons repair any damage caused by the tumor and close up their work using sutures or staples.
Lung Cancer Surgery
Lung cancer surgery is used to treat lung cancer when the cancer is small and has not spread. Surgery may be used to remove a small tumor or a part of the lung. Surgery can also be done with or without removing the entire lung, depending on how much of your lung needs to be removed and how well it can heal after surgery.
- Removing part of your chest wall: Some people have tumors that are close enough to their chest wall that they need to take out some tissue from inside their chest wall along with their tumor so there isn’t any chance for cancer cells from these areas getting into nearby blood vessels or lymph nodes and spreading throughout other parts of your body (metastasis).
Lung Cancer Treatment
Lung cancer treatment options are determined by the stage of your lung cancer, says Dr. Jon Kiev. There are many different types of surgery for lung cancer, but the most common type is called lobectomy. Lobectomy is when the surgeon removes one or both lungs (lobes). This type of surgery can be done through several different approaches depending on where in your body your tumor is located and how big it is.
Lung Cancer Stages
There are five stages of lung cancer:
- Stage 1 – The tumor is small and hasn’t spread to nearby lymph nodes or distant sites.
- Stage 2 – The tumor has grown into the bronchus or other parts of the lung but has not spread outside of your chest cavity, or metastasized. It may have also spread to nearby lymph nodes (lymph node involvement).
- Stage 3 – The tumor has grown into adjacent organs such as your heart, esophagus, trachea and/or main bronchi; it may have also metastasized to distant sites like bone marrow or liver (distant metastasis). This stage is considered advanced because there’s a high risk that treatment won’t be effective at this point. Surgery isn’t usually recommended unless you’re an ideal candidate due to age or other health factors like kidney failure–it can increase complications during surgery by making blood loss more likely than usual because tumors are so close together in this area of the body.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a specialized program that helps you recover from lung cancer treatment according to Dr. Jon Kiev. The goal of pulmonary rehabilitation is to improve your physical functioning, reduce fatigue and pain, and help you learn how to manage your symptoms.
The benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation include:
- Improved breathing (including decreased shortness of breath and wheezing)
- Increased exercise tolerance (able to do more without getting tired)
- Better sleep quality (less restless sleep)
