Surgery

If the cancer is localized and operable, surgery may be the best choice.

Surgery can be open or minimally invasive.

• In open surgery, the surgeon makes one large cut to remove the lung tumor, some healthy tissue, and as needed nearby lymph nodes.
• In minimally invasive surgery, the surgeon makes a few small cuts instead of one large one. The surgeon inserts a long thin tube with a tiny camera into one of the small cuts. This tube is called a laparoscope. The camera projects images from the inside of the body onto a monitor, which allows the surgeon to see what they are doing. The surgeon uses special surgery tools that are inserted through the other small cuts to remove the tumor and some healthy tissue.

Minimally invasive surgery is the preferred option because it requires smaller cuts, and takes less time for recovery.