Anatomical partial lobectomy for lung cancer: less or more?

In the last two decades, sublobar resections have emerged as a compelling alternative to lobectomy for the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This shift is supported by pivotal studies such as those from the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) and Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB). These studies suggest that for certain early-stage lung cancers, particularly those presenting as ground-glass opacities (GGOs) and lesions smaller than 2 cm, sublobar resections can provide comparable oncological outcomes to lobectomy with potentially fewer functional impairments (1,2).