Treatment of pulmonary recurrence from colorectal cancer involving the main bronchus usually entails palliation using interventional bronchoscopy, because the prognosis is generally very poor. Surgical experience has clarified that in this setting pneumonectomy should only be performed in carefully selected patients showing favorable prognostic profiles (defined by low carcinoembryonic antigen serum levels pre-thoracotomy), solitary and completely resectable pulmonary metastasis, and long disease-free intervals. |
