A number of patients may benefit from surgery:

• those with early-stage NSCLC who are fit for the required surgery
• those who require surgical diagnosis or palliation.

Timeframe for starting treatment

Surgery should occur within six weeks of the initial specialist referral.

Training and experience required of the surgeon

Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons or equivalent, with adequate training and experience that enables institutional credentialing and agreed scope of practice in thoracic surgical oncology.

Documented evidence of the surgeon’s training and experience, including their specific (sub-specialty) experience with lung cancer and procedures to be undertaken, should be available.

Health service characteristics

To provide safe and quality care for patients having surgery, health services should have these features:

• critical care support
• 24-hour medical staff availability
• 24-hour operating room access and intensive care unit
• diagnostic imaging
• pathology
• nuclear medicine imaging