The type of surgery is dependent upon the stage of the cancer, if it is appropriate for the patient and other considerations of general health.

There are three types of surgical procedures associated with lung cancer surgery. 

	pneumonectomy (removal of a lung)
	lobectomy (removal of a lobe)
	wedge section (or local excision) to just remove the tumor and its surrounding tissue

Roswell Park surgeons will attempt to plan your surgery as a thoracosopy (minimally invasive) procedure when possible.  However, depending upon your actual tumor and other health conditions, your surgery may end up being a thoracotomy (where a six to 10 inch incision must be made to remove the tumor).  Roswell Park specializes in the use of VATS (video assisted thoracic surgery) where 1-2 additional incisions are made. A video camera is within the scope. The scope is inserted through one of the incisions and the lung is deflated. The biopsy is taken with other instruments inserted through the additional incisions. In some patients, a wedge of the lung or an entire lobe may be removed.

Two advantages to the use of a minimally invasive method is to decrease recovery time and limit pain.

The majority of stage one lung cancer patients will be treated with a lobectomy, or a wedge section, pneumonectomy or no surgery at all.  Stage two patients most often have a lobectomy, or pneumonectomy, wedge section or no surgery at all. Later stage lung cancer patients are less likely to have surgery overall. See early stage and late stage treatment overviews for more information.