Surgery offers the best chance of cure for adenocarcinoma of the bronchus that has not spread outside of the lung. This may involve removal of the tumor or even one whole lung. About half of all lung cancer patients cannot have surgery because the tumor has spread. Others cannot have surgery due to severe lung damage from smoking.

This major surgery requires opening one side of the chest in between the ribs. A portion of the lung that contains the tumor is removed. This is called a wedge resection. Sometimes one entire lung is removed when large cancers are present.