Dr. Rizk on the Evolution of Surgery in Lung Cancer

Nabil P. Rizk, MD, MS, MPH, chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Hackensack University Medical Center, co-director, Thoracic Oncology, John Theurer Cancer Center, discusses the evolving role of surgery in lung cancer.

Historically, surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy were associated with significant morbidity in lung cancer, explains Rizk. ​Notably, only 50% of patients were able to tolerate adjuvant chemotherapy.

However, recovery for surgery has become much easier with the advent of minimally invasive and robotic approaches, Rizk adds. Now, patients can be released from the hospital within 1 ​to 3 days ​of undergoing a lobectomy, says Rizk. Then, patients are often eligible to start chemotherapy within 2 to 3 weeks.

As such, the argument that chemotherapy cannot be reliably administered in the adjuvant setting is no longer applicable with regard to minimally invasive surgery, Rizk concludes.