Early-stage lung cancer treatment: focus on curative surgical procedures

Non-small-cell lung cancer accounts for up to 85% of all lung malignancies. At the stages of lung cancer I, II, and IIIA patients typically undergo surgery with the subsequent consolidating medicamentous support.

Non-small-cell lung cancer accounts for up to 85% of all lung malignancies. At the stages of lung cancer I, II, and IIIA patients typically undergo surgery with the subsequent consolidating medicamentous support. Patients that are eligible for the curative surgeries are carefully selected with the help of visualizing examinations and histological diagnosis verification. The intervention is primarily aimed at removing the entire tumor with minimal damage to the surrounding tissues and blood vessels. Robotic surgical systems make surgical lung cancer treatment in Germany even more precise and sparing.

Diagnostic tests and treatment planning

Early-stage lung tumors do not cause any specific or alarming symptoms. Thus, the disease is typically revealed occasionally or during the regular check-up that includes fluorography. Fluorography is the X-ray examination that creates a general picture of lungs and chest bones. If the fluorography reveals suspicious signs or in the presence of clinical manifestations, further tests are carried out, including:

• Sputum cytology is performed in a productive cough (i.e. coughing up sputum). In a number of cases, atypical cells can be found there, although the sensitivity and precision of this diagnostic procedure are relatively low.
• Biopsy with the subsequent histological and immunohistochemical examination of the tissue. The biopsy may be performed during bronchoscopy (in superficial neoplasm location) or more invasive CT-guided intervention. Sometimes the open surgery is required. In the vast majority of cases, biopsy verifies the diagnosis, identifies the tumor type and determines its degree of malignancy.
• Visualizing examination includes CT scan, MRI, bone scans, etc. It is helpful in revealing signs of cancer spreading to the other organs and/or lymph nodes. In addition, bone metastases can be detected only during such visualizing studies.

German healthcare specialists consider patients with I, II, and IIIA lung cancer stages eligible for surgical tumor removing in absence of metastases and severe concomitant disorders.

Surgical intervention: removing the entire tumor

Depending on the required surgery extent, few interventions are performed in German hospitals:

• Wedge resection which is removing a wedge-shaped lung part. It allows removing small lung neoplasms or metastases. Wedge resection is also beneficial for patients who will hardly tolerate more extensive surgery.
• Segmental resection which is removing the whole segment of a lung. The surgery considers the anatomical structure of the organ, as each bronchopulmonary segment has own bronchus and blood vessels.
• Lobectomy is removing an entire lobe, up to half of a lung.
• Pneumonectomy is removing an entire lung on one side.

In Germany, conventional open surgeries are mainly substituted with sparing endoscopic techniques:

1. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). This is an endoscopic procedure that allows performing wedge and segmental resection or lobectomy through 2-3 cm long skin incisions. Specially designed miniature surgical devices and cameras are used for this purpose. Due to preserving chest integrity, VATS is connected with quicker recovery time and less pain compared to conventional interventions.
2. Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery. This is another minimally invasive technique that is performed with the help of a computer program (da Vinci system) for controlling the position and movements of surgical devices inside the thorax. Robotic-assisted surgery offers more precise movements and better hemostatic control, which finally leads to low complications risks. Both VATS and robotic-assisted surgery can be used in elderly patients with complicated general health state.

Choosing the best hospital with Booking Health

You may decide to undergo lung cancer treatment in Germany for financial, medical, or private reasons. Seeking medical services abroad without relevant international experience may be troublesome, thus it will be more advantageous to contact Booking Health. Booking Health is the certified medical tourism operator that arranges therapy in the best hospitals worldwide for patients from 75 countries. Booking Health offers:

• Choosing the best specialized oncological or pulmonological center.
• Choosing a qualified treating physician.
• Making an appointment without long waiting.
• Assistance in receiving the visa and preparing administrative documents.
• Professional translation of medical reports into German and patient’s native language.
• Additional monitoring of therapeutic courses by our experts.
• Financial control, checking treatment prices (saving up to 50% due to additional fees exclusion).
• Distant consultations with your physician after the program completion.
• Booking tickets and accommodation, arranging the transfer, services of an interpreter.

In addition, Booking Health offers comprehensive support 24/7, so staying in the German hospital will be easy and comfortable. In order to start treatment planning, please, leave the request on the Booking Health website and wait for the call from a specialist.