Criteria of Putnam for Resection of Pulmonary Metastases

 

Indications for considering surgical resection of a metastasis to the lung (with hope of durable benefit to the patient) - all of the following:

(1) complete control of the extrapulmonary tumor

(2) metastases in the lung completely resectable

(3) adequate respiratory function after the resection

 

The ideal candidate has a slow-growing primary tumor that has been completely resected and with a solitary lung metastasis that is the only obvious metastastic focus.

 

As the number of metastatic nodules increase the chances of durable benefit decrease.

 

There may be other reasons to biopsy a metastatic nodule to the lung (for diagnosis, for palliation).