Indications and contraindications for lung cancer surgery

Although surgery is the best treatment for lung cancer patients, it is not suitable for every patient at every stage of lung cancer clinically, and has its indications and contraindications.

Indications for lung cancer surgery:

1. No distant metastasis, including solid organs such as liver, brain, adrenal glands, bones, extrathoracic lymph nodes, etc.;

2. The cancerous tissue has not invaded or spread to adjacent organs or tissues in the chest, such as the aorta, superior vena cava, esophagus, and cancerous pleural effusion;

3. Those without severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction or recent onset of angina;

4. Those without severe liver or kidney diseases and severe diabetes;

5. No recurrent nerve or phrenic nerve paralysis;

6. The patient is in good general condition, with normal organ function and vital capacity and maximum expiratory volume not less than 60% of the expected value.

Patients with the following conditions should generally undergo surgery with caution or require further examination and treatment:

1. Elderly people with poor cardiopulmonary function;

2. Except for stage I, small cell lung cancer should be treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy first, and then determine whether it can be treated surgically;

3. In addition to the primary lesion, X-rays show several suspicious metastases in the mediastinum.

Contraindications for lung cancer surgery:

1. Patients with distant metastasis;

2. Patients with extensive mediastinal lymph node metastasis;

3. Patients with intrathoracic metastasis after treatment;

4. Other important organs in the same side of the chest are invaded;

5. Those with severe cardiopulmonary impairment, arrhythmia, and myocardial infarction less than 3 months ago;

6. Patients with severe liver and kidney diseases, severe diabetes, hemorrhagic diseases, cachexia, etc., who cannot tolerate surgery.