The ability of a cancer to be treated surgically with a complete resection for potential cure is dependent upon many factors. The overall health of the patient is important, as the patient needs to be able to tolerate a major operation. The uninvolved portions of the lungs need to be healthy enough to support the patient after the planned resection. A patient has to have more residual lung function to tolerate a larger resection such as a pneumonectomy (resection of an entire lung) than if treated with a lobectomy or segmentectomy (resection of a part of a lung). In general, the location and nature of the lung cancer determine how much lung needs to be resected for cure, and the pulmonary function of the patient determines how much resection the patient can tolerate.
Lung cancer surgery medical expert witness specialties include oncology, internal medicine, radiology, pathology, lung transplant, thoracic surgery, internal medicine, family medicine, and hospitalist medicine.