Video–assisted thoracoscopic surgery improves lung cancer survival rate
A meta–analysis of clinical trials in Denmark, China and the UK has demonstrated that video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) reduces the risk of death by 21%, compared with a lobectomy.
For the first time, a study has revealed VATS improves both oncological and non-oncological outcomes for lung cancer, compared with lobectomy. The research was presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer (6–9 September, Barcelona, Spain).
VATS is currently the most common approach to perform pulmonary lobectomy in early-stage lung cancer due to reductions in pain and complications, faster recovery and improved quality of life. This adoption was based on proven non-oncological benefits, but little was known about how VATS compared with open lobectomy for oncological outcomes.
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Reviewing the evidence
A team led by Jacie Jiaqi Law, Royal Brompton Hospital (London, UK), sought to address this knowledge gap by undertaking a meta-analysis of clinical trials in this space. They conducted a literature search and reviewed the publications for risk of bias, consistency and sensitivity.
Of 556 potential studies identified, just three were randomized trials that passed their eligibility criteria: Bendixen et al. from Denmark (NCT01278888), Long et al. from China (NCT01102517) and Lim et al. from the United Kingdom (NCT03521375). Covering 1185 patients in total, their primary analysis indicated a 21% reduction in the risk of death in patients that received treatment with VATS, compared with open lobectomy, with no difference in disease-free survival overall. Age did not play a factor in the treatment effect.
“For the first time, we provide evidence that a simple change in surgical access to VATS reduces the overall risk of death by 21% without any compromise to disease-free survival,” Law concluded. “These results underscore the importance of prioritizing VATS when technically feasible as the access of choice for surgical resection of early-stage NSCLC.”