Abstract
For a person with localized lung cancer, surgery may offer the promise of a cure. But that hope can be dashed if during preparation for surgery, or on the operating table, doctors discover a severe blockage in the main artery feeding the heart. A blocked coronary artery raises the risk of a heart attack that is as life-threatening as the cancer itself. For many hospitals, this discovery would raise a tough choice: delay the cancer surgery to treat the heart, or accept the high risk of a heart attack and treat the cancer. "This passive approach poses a serious threat to patient safety and outcomes," says Xumin Hou, a cardiologist and president of Shanghai Chest Hospital (SCH) in China.
NETL
NSTL