VIdeo Assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy Versus Conventional Open LobEcTomy for Lung Cancer

The uptake of surgery for lung cancer in the UK is low and minimal access surgery may be regarded as a more acceptable intervention (compared to open surgery) by patients, referring respiratory physicians and oncologists. However, a large multi-centre RCT is essential to inform patient and clinician decision making and influence surgical practice in the UK. The VIOLET study will compare the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of VATS lobectomy versus open surgery for treatment of lung cancer and will test the hypothesis that VATS surgery is superior to open surgery with respect to self-reported physical function five weeks after randomisation (approx. one month after surgery). Specific objectives are to estimate: A. The difference between groups in the average self-reported physical function at five weeks. B. The difference between groups with respect to a range of secondary outcomes including assessment of efficacy (hospital stay, pain, proportion and time to uptake of chemotherapy), measures of safety (adverse health events), oncological outcomes (proportion of patients upstaged to pN2 disease and disease free survival) and overall survival. C. The cost effectiveness of VATs and open surgery.