Surgical Treatment of Lung Cancer: Past And Present

From the fortuitous beginning of surgery of the chest in the 15th century to the scientific discoveries of the 17th–19th centuries, a body of knowledge was acquired that enabled the “rise of surgery from empiric craft to scientific discipline” (2 ). The evolution of general surgical practice and derivation of thoracic specialty practiced, was interwoven with the advancement of science in other fields. Early discoveries in anatomy and physiology, of percussion and auscultation, of Roentgen’s X-rays, the introduction of bronchoscopy, the development of anesthesia, and understanding the causes of infection and antisepsis were building blocks for progress in the surgical treatment of thoracic disease. This progress, as described by Naef (3 ), was the “end result of heroic efforts by pioneers in the field of surgery who persisted in their quest to provide a surgical solution for the difficult problems of intrathoracic disease.” The time line (see Fig. 1 ) reflects the development of safe thoracotomy and procedures for resection of lung cancer (4 ).