Lung Cancer Health Center

Surgery to remove the cancer may be an option when your cancer is in only one lung or present in one lung and in nearby lymph nodes. Lung surgery is called a thoracotomy. It usually is done only if your doctor thinks all the cancer can be removed and your general health is good enough for you to handle the surgery.

Surgery Choices

The type of surgery performed depends on the location and size of your lung cancer:

• Wedge resection (segmentectomy). The surgeon removes a small wedge-shaped piece of lung that contains the lung cancer and a margin of healthy tissue around the cancer.
• Lobectomy. The right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two lobes. A lobectomy removes the entire lobe of your lung that contains the cancer. Your lungs can function with the lobes that remain.
• Pneumonectomy. A pneumonectomy removes your entire lung that contains the lung cancer.

Lung function studies and a lung scan are often done before surgery to predict how much of your lung function you will still have after surgery.

Surgery to remove lymph nodes in the center of the chest is usually recommended at the time of lung surgery, to find out whether the cancer has spread.

What to Think About

You may have side effects from your surgery.

Chemotherapy may be given before (neoadjuvant) or after (adjuvant) surgery to destroy any cancer cells.