Non small cell lung cancer: surgical treatment in the elderly.

Lung cancer resection in elderly patients is justified and has decreasing morbidity and mortality rates. Careful patient selection and operative planning are necessary, however. It is wise to have a diagnosis and staging done before the patient arrives in the operating theater. The surgeon should avoid extended resections when possible. In addition, elderly patients should be ambulated as soon as possible and adequate pain control should be ensured. Finally, the stage of the disease and occurrence of cardiopulmonary complications are the main determinants of outcome.

Non-small cell lung cancer: pulmonary parenchyma resection in lung-compromised patients.

Surgery remains the primary curative treatment for patients who have early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The proper use of surgical resection depends on a careful assessment of the extent of disease and the cardiopulmonary function. Because lung cancer is more common in patients who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it is important to select carefully those patients who can safely undergo potentially curative therapy, thereby minimizing postoperative morbidity and mortality. This article discusses the preoperative pulmonary assessment for patient selection, the preparation of high-risk patients, special surgical considerations, and patient management in the immediate postoperative period.

Patient management with a solitary pulmonary nodule.

Solitary pulmonary nodules are a common problem presented to the chest physicians. In our era, with the integration of new technologies, an increasing number of smaller-sized solitary pulmonary nodules are being detected. The primary objective in evaluating a solitary pulmonary nodule is prompt identification and treatment of early-stage lung cancer. A secondary objective is the avoidance of surgical morbidity in the diagnosis of a benign lung lesion.