Why does lung cancer recur after surgical resection?

Why does lung cancer recur after surgical resection?

Recurrence of lung cancer after surgical resection may be related to residual cancer cells after surgery, metastatic lung cancer, new cancer, etc.

1. Residual cancer cells after surgery

The goal of surgical resection of lung cancer is to remove as much tumor tissue as possible from the patient's body, thereby achieving a cure. However, even after surgical resection, there is still a possibility that a small amount of cancer cells will remain in the body. These residual cancer cells are not removed by surgery due to their slow growth, or they may be missed because the surgical resection area does not overlap enough with the area where the cancer cells have spread.

2. Metastatic lung cancer

Although the early symptoms of lung cancer are not obvious, as the tumor grows, cancer cells will invade lymph nodes and blood vessels, and then spread to other parts of the body to form metastatic lung cancer. Even if the primary lesion is surgically removed, if there are metastatic cancer cells, recurrence is still possible after surgery.

3. Neoplastic cancer

After surgery to remove lung cancer, patients need to undergo long-term follow-up observation. Once the cancer recurs, it is usually considered a recurrence of lung cancer. However, some patients do not have a recurrence of lung cancer, but rather a new cancer. These new cancers may be caused by lung cancer surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, which leads to a decrease in immune system function and induces cancer in other parts of the body.

Carcinogenic gene mutations can also recur, so it is necessary to continue monitoring after surgery to avoid recurrence and seek medical attention in a timely manner.