OUTLINE: Patients undergo video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy, which requires 3 small incisions on the side of the chest. The entire anatomic pulmonary lobe is removed, as well as all peribronchial lymph nodes and anterior hilar lymph nodes. If it is not possible to remove the lobe using the VATS approach, then 1 of the incisions is converted to a standard thoracotomy. Patients are followed every 4 months for the first 2 years, and then every 6 months for the next 3 years.