Lung cancer surgery is an operation which involves the removal of parts or all of the affected lung. A doctor who is specially trained to carry out cancer surgery is called a thoracic surgeon. The essence of surgery is to completely remove the cancer from the lungs before it spreads to other parts. Surgery is usually performed by making a cut or an incision in the chest or side of the body so as to remove a section or all of the affected lung and lymph nodes. But, not all types of lung cancer requires surgery treatment, lung cancer type like small cell lung cancer does not require surgery for treatment because the cancer tumor has already spread beyond the lungs to other parts of the body.
The following types of surgery can be performed for lung cancer cases:
Lobectomy
This is the type of surgery which involves the removal of an entire lobe of the lung. The two lungs have five lobes altogether with three at the right lung, and two at the left lung. The whole five are being removed in this surgical operation. Lobectomy is the most effective type of surgery in which the cancer is completely removed
Wedge resection
In this operation, a small piece of the lung where the cancer tumor is located is being removed. This operation is usually carried out on cancer that is still at an early stage in which the tumor is still confined to one area of the lung.
Segmentectomy
This is the type of surgery in which the surgeon removes the section of the lung where the cancer is being developed.
Pneumonectomy
This surgery is carried out when the cancer tumor is located at the center of the lung, or has spread to the entire lungs. In such case, the surgeon may have to remove the entire lung so as to get rid of the cancer.