Is wedge resection enough for my grandmother's lung cancer?

Question

Hello doctor,

My 70-year-old grandmother recently underwent surgery for early-stage lung cancer, where the surgeon removed a small part of the lung. After reading the report, I realized it was called a wedge resection, which made me search.

I am wondering whether that is considered adequate treatment. She seems to be recovering slowly but still feels tired while walking longer distances.

Is wedge resection usually enough for very small tumors, or do patients sometimes require additional treatment afterward?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Even a diagnosis of cancer in the early stages may seem too much, and it is perfectly normal to have lots of questions and worries.

My wishes for a quick recovery go to your grandmother. I know how scary it must be to hear a diagnosis of lung cancer, but if this really is an early-stage diagnosis, then wedge resection will be a good way out for her.

Lung cancer, when caught early, offers a much better outlook than many people initially expect, and medical advances continue to improve outcomes for patients every year.

However, it is very important to continue close follow-up after surgery.

Routine tests include a CT scan every six months to make sure that recurrence or metastasis is prevented, and a PET-CT every year to keep an eye on the entire body. Routine examinations are very important to detect changes as soon as possible.

In addition to surgery, some physicians might use targeted therapy or prophylactic radiotherapy depending on the overall condition of the patient and her tolerance to extra treatment, but in many cases, surgery is enough.

It is up to the medical professionals to find out what would be best for your grandmother.

What is really important is regular follow-up care to prevent the recurrence of the tumor or its spread. I hope she will attend all scheduled examinations.

I hope my answer was satisfactory to you. In case you have more questions, you can contact me at iCliniq.

Thank you.