Results of Primary Surgery With T4 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer During a 25-Year Period in a Single Center: The Benefit is Worth the Risk

In highly qualified centers, radical surgery of T4 N0/N1 non-small cell lung carcinoma can be performed with a 4% mortality rate and may yield a 43% 5-year survival rate. These results seem to indicate primary surgery as the treatment of choice for T4 non-small cell lung carcinoma, whenever a complete resection is thought to be technically feasible and the patient's condition is compatible with the extent of the planned surgery.