Project 467210

Lung cancer is common in Canada. For people diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, the ideal course of treatment is for the tumor to be surgically removed. However, lung complications are common adverse events following lung resection surgery: with nearly 1 in 4 Canadians at risk of developing complications after the surgery. With lengthier hospital stays, and higher death rates, complications following surgery affect the well-being of the patient and pose an economic burden on the healthcare system. Considering the overall burden of these complications, little research has been done to understand risk factors that can be reduced prior to the surgery. We believe that abnormal lung function, not detected using standard clinical tools, may be present in some of these patients, due to underlying lung disease, and may be the reason they develop complications and have worse clinical outcomes after their surgery. Thus, we will use a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that is better suited to measure the patients lung function. We will study 115 patients undergoing lung cancer surgery. The study will consist of a single visit, one week before surgery, and a 4-week follow-up period. During the visit, patient history will be recorded, standard breathing tests and MRI will be done. After the surgery, the patients will be followed for 4 weeks to monitor the occurrence of lung complications and clinical outcomes (length of hospital stay, and home oxygen use). If abnormal lung function is present in the patients and it is the main reason they develop lung complications, then in the future we can use a personalized treatment plan to treat the abnormal lung function before surgery. This can reduce the occurrence of lung complications and improve overall lung health.