@article {Treasure:November 2007:0035-8843:744,
	author = "Treasure, Tom",
	title = "Pulmonary metastasectomy: a common practice based on weak evidence",
	journal = "Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England",
	volume = "89",
	year = "November 2007",
	abstract = "The resection of secondary metastases from the lungs is a wide-spread surgical practice. Patients are referred from coloproctology teams to thoracic surgeons specifically for this surgery. What is the expected benefit? I have explored the rationale and searched the literature in order to present these patients with a well-informed opinion for their consideration. I find only weak evidence based on uncontrolled retrospective series which have been interpreted as showing a survival benefit. This has been extrapolated to policy and practice that do not stand up to scrutiny. The practice has never been subjected to randomised trial and I will argue that the present evidence is insufficient to justify the uncontrolled use of an intervention with inescapable short-term morbidity, permanent loss of function, and major cost implications. I propose ways in which the evidence may be improved, including a trial in the areas of most uncertainty.",
	pages = "744-748(5)",
	url = "http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/rcse/arcs/2007/00000089/00000008/art00002"
	doi = "doi:10.1308/003588407X232198"
}