The Use of Scoring Systems in Selecting Patients for Lung Resection: Work-up Bias Comes Full-Circle

Statistical models of perioperative risk and long-term postoperative survival facilitate the fair assessment of surgical outcomes and provide insight into the association between certain clinical features and outcome. They provide quantitative estimates of risk or long-term survival. These models, however, have a number of limitations in informing decisions concerning the selection of patients for lung resection. This article examines those limitations.