Preoperative cardiac evaluation of lung resection candidates.

Patients who have lung cancer typically have both pulmonary and cardiac disease as a result of cigarette smoking and are potentially at increased risk for perioperative cardiopulmonary complications. Knowledge of risk factors and a careful preoperative assessment will help the medical team stratify the patient's level of risk and employ measures to minimize surgical risk. The available literature specific to cardiac risk and lung cancer surgery is minimal, but the general principles of preoperative cardiac risk evaluation and perioperative management have been reviewed. When considering cardiac testing and interventions, the medical consultant must remember that surgery is the treatment of choice for non-small cell lung cancer and must avoid any excessive delay that might compromise the patient's chance of a surgical cure.