New trends in the surgical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in both men and women now. Limited resections have proven to be safe and effective in high-risk patients. Sleeve resection now offers both conservation of pulmonary function and enhanced resectability to select patients. Chest wall resections in association with pulmonary resection offer worthwhile survival if the mediastinal lymph nodes are not involved. Solitary cerebral metastases can now be resected with favorable results in carefully selected patients. New treatment strategies, such as neoadjuvant therapy, are on the horizon for advanced stage patients. Operative mortality has declined significantly compared to past decades. While the prognosis for most patients with non-small cell lung cancer remains grim, surgery is now possible in select subgroups with relatively good results.