Staci E. Beamer, M.D., on lobectomy vs. segmentectomy | CHEST 2026

The merits of segmentectomy compared with lobectomy as surgical treatment for early-stage lung cancer remains one of the most actively debated questions in thoracic surgery, according to Staci E. Beamer, M.D., a thoracic surgeon at HonorHealth. Beamer discussed the issue in an interview at the 2026 annual CHEST meeting in Phoenix earlier this week.

Lobectomy removes an entire lobe of the lung, while segmentectomy removes a smaller segment (thus the name) preserving more lung tissue. Thoracic surgeons are weighing whether the two operations are equivalent for patients, and there are criteria under which they would consider them to be, Beamer said.

Research from Japan showed that segmentectomy produced a higher rate of survival than lobectomy, which raised the question of whether segmentectomy might be preferable for many patients with early stage lung cancer. But Beamer cautioned that the patients in that study do not necessarily resemble the patients U.S. surgeons treat day to day, particularly in the size of their lesions and how solid those lesions are.

A multinational trial that included U.S. sites found no difference among lobectomy, segmentectomy and wedge resection for stage 1 disease. All of the research in question focuses on stage 1 disease, Beamer noted, and the differing results have left some conflict in how surgeons interpret the evidence.

Beamer sees the answer falling between the two positions. "In my mind, the truth lives somewhere in the middle," she said. For some patients, segmentectomy is an excellent operation that will offer outcomes equivalent to lobectomy. Others will truly need a lobectomy because of the margin that can be achieved, the location of the tumor or findings that only become apparent in the operating room.

The trial data are helpful as a guide, Beamer said, but in the real world, surgeons still have to make whatever decision is best for the individual patient.