A Pilot Study of Radiofrequency Ablation in High-Risk Patients With Stage IA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Study start date: September 1, 2006

Inclusion Criteria: * PRE-REGISTRATION CRITERIA: * Patients must have a lung nodule suspicious for clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) * Patient must have a mass =\< 3 cm maximum diameter by CT size estimate: clinical stage IA * Patient must have been evaluated by a thoracic surgeon and been deemed at high risk for a lung resection; NOTE: if the evaluating surgeon is not a member of American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), then an ACOSOG thoracic surgeon must confirm with dated signature that the patient is high-risk and appropriate for RFA * Patient must have fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG)-PET and a CT scan of the chest with upper abdomen within 60 days prior to pre-registration; patient must have pulmonary function tests (PFTs) within 120 days prior to registration * Patient must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)/Zubrod performance status 0, 1, or 2 * Patient must meet at least one major criterion or meet a minimum of two minor criteria as described below: * Major criteria * Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) =\< 50% predicted * Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) =\< 50% predicted * Minor Criteria * Age \>= 75 * FEV1 51-60% predicted * DLCO 51-60% predicted * Pulmonary hypertension (defined as a pulmonary artery systolic pressure greater than 40 mmHg) as estimated by echocardiography or right heart catheterization * Poor left ventricular function (defined as an ejection fraction of 40% or less) * Resting or exercise arterial partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) =\< 55 mmHg or oxygen saturation (SpO2) =\< 88% * Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) \> 45 mmHg * Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) Dyspnea Scale \>= 3 * Patient must not have had previous intra-thoracic radiation therapy * Women of child-bearing potential must have negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 2 weeks of registration * REGISTRATION ACTIVATION CRITERIA: * Patient must have histologically or cytologically proven NSCLC, 3 cm or smaller, as determined by the largest dimension on CT lung windows * Patient's tumor must be non-contiguous with vital structures: trachea, esophagus, aorta, aortic arch branches and heart and lesions must be accessible via percutaneous transthoracic route * Patient must have all suspicious mediastinal lymph nodes (\> 1 cm short-axis dimension on CT scan or positive on PET scan) assessed by the following to confirm negative involvement with NSCLC (mediastinoscopy, endo-esophageal ultrasound-guided needle aspiration, CT-guided, video-assisted thoracoscopic or open lymph node biopsy)