Pulmonary Metastasectomy 

Three computed tomography (CT) images showing three discreet lung nodules in a patient with lung metastasis that spread from cancer of the tonsil. The patient underwent a left thoracotomy and subsequent right video thoracoscopy (VATS) for wedge resections and remains well to date. 

A metastasis is a type of lung tumor that develops when cancer from another body site (for example, the breast or colon) spreads to the lung. When this occurs, the tumors in the lung are referred to as metastatic lung (pulmonary) tumors. Because it acts as a sieve for all of the blood that passes through the body, the lung is a very common site for metastatic tumors to lodge. Fortunately, patients with tumors that spread to the lung from other sites often still have a chance to be cured by surgical removal of these tumors, frequently in combination with chemotherapy.

There are several criteria that generally should be met for it to be reasonable to surgically remove (or "resect") such cancerous lung tumors that originate from other body sites:

  1. Patients should have their primary tumor site controlled.
  2. There should be no uncontrollable extra-pulmonary disease (disease outside the confines of the lungs).
  3. All visible lung metastases, including bilateral disease, should be resectable while leaving the patient with adequate lung function for a good quality of life.

When deciding to undergo lung surgery to treat metastases from different types of cancers, you and your surgeon may discuss:

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