{"entity":{"id":"lobectomy","kind":"term","name":"Lobectomy","aka":["lobectomies","pulmonary lobectomy"],"tldr":"Removing one lobe of the lung (the right lung has three, the left two). The standard operation for early lung cancer.","summary":"Lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node sampling is the reference treatment for stage I-II non-small-cell lung cancer, usually done by video-assisted (VATS) or robotic surgery through small incisions. Five-year survival is 70-90% for stage I. For small peripheral tumours (≤2 cm) segmentectomy proved non-inferior (JCOG0802, CALGB 140503), and SBRT is the alternative for patients too frail to operate. Perioperative chemo-immunotherapy or adjuvant osimertinib (ADAURA) now follows in many patients. Thyroid and liver lobectomies use the same word for a different organ.","asOf":"2026-09-09","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobectomy_(lung)","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobectomy_(lung)"},{"label":"NICE NG122: lung cancer, management","url":"https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng122/chapter/Management"},{"label":"Macmillan: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)","url":"https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/lung-cancer/non-small-cell-lung-cancer"},{"label":"Cancer Research UK: coping with breathlessness when you have lung cancer","url":"https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/lung-cancer/living-with/coping-with-breathlessness"}],"tags":[],"related":["segmentectomy","pneumonectomy"],"cancers":["nsclc","lung-cancer"],"sections":["surgery"],"technologies":["sbrt","robotic-surgery"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":["adaura"],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":["Lung cancer: NICE NG122 (1.5.1) says that for people with non-small-cell lung cancer who are well enough and for whom treatment with curative intent is suitable, offer lobectomy, either open or thoracoscopic, and (1.5.2) offer more extensive surgery (bronchoangioplastic surgery, bilobectomy, pneumonectomy) only when needed to obtain clear margins. NICE's own rationale calls lobectomy a good compromise between preserving lung function and being more likely to remove cancerous cells than a sublobar resection.","Before the operation NICE asks for spirometry and transfer factor testing (1.4.9), a functional segment count to predict lung function afterwards (1.4.11), and a global risk score such as Thoracoscore with the person made aware of the risk before consent (1.4.1). Cancer Research UK says some breathlessness after lung surgery is normal, depends on the operation and on how fit you were beforehand, improves for some people and persists for others, and that you can ask to be referred to a breathlessness clinic."],"category":"Procedures"},"route":"/terms/lobectomy/","neighbours":{"term":[{"id":"minimally-invasive-surgery","kind":"term","name":"Minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic, robotic, VATS)","route":"/terms/minimally-invasive-surgery/"},{"id":"pneumonectomy","kind":"term","name":"Pneumonectomy","route":"/terms/pneumonectomy/"},{"id":"segmentectomy","kind":"term","name":"Segmentectomy (sublobar resection)","route":"/terms/segmentectomy/"},{"id":"sublobar-resection","kind":"term","name":"Sublobar resection (segmentectomy and wedge)","route":"/terms/sublobar-resection/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"lung-adenocarcinoma-in-situ-and-minimally-invasive","kind":"cancer","name":"Adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma of the lung","route":"/cancers/lung-adenocarcinoma-in-situ-and-minimally-invasive/"},{"id":"lung-adenocarcinoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Adenocarcinoma of the lung","route":"/cancers/lung-adenocarcinoma/"},{"id":"egfr-mutant-nsclc","kind":"cancer","name":"EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer","route":"/cancers/egfr-mutant-nsclc/"},{"id":"limited-stage-sclc","kind":"cancer","name":"Limited-stage small-cell lung cancer","route":"/cancers/limited-stage-sclc/"},{"id":"lung-cancer","kind":"cancer","name":"Lung cancer (all types)","route":"/cancers/lung-cancer/"},{"id":"lung-net","kind":"cancer","name":"Lung neuroendocrine tumours (typical and atypical carcinoid)","route":"/cancers/lung-net/"},{"id":"nsclc","kind":"cancer","name":"Non-small-cell lung cancer","route":"/cancers/nsclc/"},{"id":"pulmonary-blastoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Pulmonary blastoma (adult)","route":"/cancers/pulmonary-blastoma/"},{"id":"resectable-nsclc","kind":"cancer","name":"Resectable stage I to III non-small-cell lung cancer","route":"/cancers/resectable-nsclc/"}],"section":[{"id":"surgery","kind":"section","name":"Surgery & Interventional","route":"/fronts/surgery/"}],"technology":[{"id":"robotic-surgery","kind":"technology","name":"Robotic & minimally invasive surgery","route":"/technologies/robotic-surgery/"},{"id":"sbrt","kind":"technology","name":"SBRT / SABR (stereotactic radiotherapy)","route":"/technologies/sbrt/"}],"trial":[{"id":"adaura","kind":"trial","name":"ADAURA","route":"/trials/adaura/"},{"id":"calgb-140503","kind":"trial","name":"CALGB 140503 (Alliance)","route":"/trials/calgb-140503/"},{"id":"jcog0802","kind":"trial","name":"JCOG0802 / WJOG4607L","route":"/trials/jcog0802/"},{"id":"violet","kind":"trial","name":"VIOLET","route":"/trials/violet/"}],"institution":[{"id":"royal-papworth","kind":"institution","name":"Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust","route":"/institutions/royal-papworth/"}]}}