Comparison of pulmonary metastasectomy and stereotactic body radiation therapy for the treatment of lung metastases

Lung metastasectomy is one of the most frequently performed procedures by thoracic surgeons worldwide whose goal is to resect all pulmonary metastases from primary neoplasms without leaving residual disease (1). In order to accomplish an effective procedure, basic oncologic principles need to be respected when performing lung metastasectomy: the primary tumor must be controlled or controllable; no further extrathoracic uncontrollable metastatic spread exists; lung procedure need to be radical without major impairment of respiratory function; no effective alternative treatments with lower morbidity should be available (2).