RATIONALE: Video-assisted surgery may be an effective treatment and have fewer side effects than conventional surgery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of video-assisted surgery in treating patients who have non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the feasibility of performing video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy, without significant morbidity or perioperative mortality, in patients with small (no greater than 3.0 cm), peripheral, non-small cell lung cancer. II. Determine the rate at which a thoracotomy must be carried out to complete a VATS lobectomy in these patients. III. Describe the complications associated with this procedure. IV. Describe the length of the operative procedure, duration of chest tube stay, and length of hospitalization in this patient population. V. Describe the survival and failure-free survival, over a 5-year period, in this patient population following this procedure.

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.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 135 patients will be accrued for this study within 3 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Suspected or histologically documented non-small cell lung cancer Solitary, peripheral lung lesion that is no greater than 3.0 cm No metastatic disease No positive lymph nodes at mediastinoscopy At least 5 years since diagnosis of non-small cell or small cell lung cancer

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Not specified Performance status: ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Not specified Pulmonary: FEV1 at least 1.0 L or at least 50% of predicted Other: No significant comorbid medical or psychiatric condition No other active malignancy other than nonmelanomatous skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Not specified