[Potentially curative surgical therapy in oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer]

Abstract

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 85 % of all lung cancer cases and approximately 40 % of all patients impress with a metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Stage IV NSCLC has a poor prognosis and is incurable. The recommended standard therapy in this case is a palliative supportive systemic chemotherapy. However, a distinctive subgroup of patients with stage IV NSCLC appear clinically with an oligometastatic disease and may qualify for surgical therapy. There is evidence that patients with synchronous or metachronus solitary satellite nodules, either located intrapulmonary or extrapulmonary, benefit from surgical resection.