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The use of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has allowed surgeons to perform complex procedures that previously required a thoracotomy. While VATS is well accepted in the management of benign thoracic disease, its role in the management of lung cancer continues to evolve. VATS is utilized in many aspects of the management of lung cancer including the evaluation of indeterminate pulmonary nodules and pleural effusions, staging of mediastinal lymph nodes, and the resection of primary and metastatic tumors. However, concerns regarding cost, training issues, and adherence to oncological principles have caused some surgeons to proceed more slowly. This review discusses the current role of thoracoscopy in the management of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the intensity of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) could independently predict patient prognosis.METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with untreated NSCLC were studied with FDG-PET. Primary tumor FDG uptake was calculated by the standardized uptake value based on lean body mass (SUV-lean). Cumulative survival rate and the SUV-lean were compared.RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the tumor stages and the SUV-lean. Although the survival rates significantly decreased as the stage progressed (p =.0049), there was no significant difference in the survival rate between the group with lower primary tumor FDG uptake (SUV-lean 8.72) (p =.2256). However, in the subset of patients without metastasis, survival tended to be longer with a lower tumor SUV-lean.CONCLUSION: In this population of patients with NSCLC, the tumor FDG uptake does not independently predict the prognosis.