Surgery of lung metastases

The aim of surgical treatment of lung metastases is to eliminate all known tumoral disease. After a clinical diagnosis of lung metastases, the criteria for selecting patients who are candidates for surgical treatment, the route of access to the thoracic cavity and the technique for metastases resection are not universally defined. Moreover, half of all patients will show recurrence and the advisability of further surgery will have to be reconsidered. The present article discusses aspects related to the oncological and functional limits of surgical resection of lung metastases, preoperative workup, postoperative follow-up, and the surgical approaches and resection techniques.