Removal of an entire lung is a pneumonectomy. One common reason for this procedure would be lung cancer. There are many different types of treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer.
Surgery is the often the treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer that has not spread beyond nearby lymph nodes. The surgeon may remove:
- One of the lobes of the lung (lobectomy)
- Only a small part of the lung (wedge or segment removal)
- The entire lung (pneumonectomy)