title: The role of thoracoscopy in the management of cancer patients.
abstract: Thoracoscopy or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has become an important tool in the management of thoracic diseases. Most thoracic procedures are first attempted using a VATS technique. Thoracoscopy has an important role in managing malignancies that present with symptoms or lesions in the chest. Although the primary role is diagnostic, in the case of non-thoracic malignancies, VATS also has an important palliative treatment role, as in dealing with pleural and pericardial effusions and metastatic deposits.
authors.affiliation: St. Joseph Cancer Institute, Towson, MD 21204, USA. markkrasna@catholichealth.net
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Krasna
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*