Thoracic surgery clinics
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Thoracic surgery clinics · Aug 2013
ReviewRole of induction therapy: surgical resection of non-small cell lung cancer after induction therapy.
Patients with Stage III non-small cell lung cancer are best managed by multimodality therapy. Patients with N2 disease can be treated with induction therapy (usually chemotherapy) followed by surgical resection. Patients whose medical comorbidities preclude surgery should be treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. T3 or T4 tumors involving the superior sulcus or spine are best managed with induction chemoradiotherapy and surgical resection.
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Palliative care medicine is embedded within thoracic surgery due to its heavy oncological bias. Many thoracic procedures are entirely palliative in nature, designed to alleviate symptoms and to relieve suffering. At a global level, access to palliative care services is dismal, necessitating awareness and advocacy. Early identification of palliative needs improves patient quality and reduces cost.