Innovations in Thoracic Medicine: Advancements and Challenges—2nd Edition
A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 June 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Interests: lung cancer; pulmonary metastases; surgical oncology; VATS; minimally invasive thoracic surgery; innovative surgical techniques; artificial intelligence; development of medical apps; pleural mesothelioma; respiration physiology
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Topic background and history:
Following the success of the first edition of this Special Issue, https://www.mdpi.com/journal/life/special_issues/QS2Z42QA6V, which gathered valuable insights into the integration of new technologies in thoracic care, we are pleased to announce the launch of its 2nd Edition.
The evolution of medicine in recent years has been strongly linked to technological progress, which has enabled the development of advanced medical devices and minimally invasive tools capable of improving patients’ quality of life in the daily management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, incontinence, and cardiovascular pathologies. These innovations have also made thoracic interventions less invasive—through video-assisted and robotic techniques—allowing for more complex procedures with shorter recovery times.
We can now foresee new scenarios in which robotic systems will become more accessible and serve as the ideal interface for the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into thoracic medicine. From this perspective, professional training is essential to fully harness the potential of technological innovation, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Aim and Scope of the Special Issue:
This Special Issue aims to explore the ongoing evolution and future perspectives of innovation in thoracic medicine, highlighting how emerging technologies are reshaping diagnosis, intervention, and long-term patient management.
Furthermore, we raise an important question: what role will Artificial Intelligence play in the near future of thoracic healthcare?
Cutting-edge research:
What does innovation mean today?
Innovation today means ensuring that the most advanced technologies are accessible to the widest possible patient population. It also means optimizing outcomes, life expectancy, and quality of life—while maintaining sustainability and cost-effectiveness within healthcare systems.
In thoracic medicine, these goals translate into minimally invasive and precision-based approaches that reduce complications and recovery times and open new treatment possibilities even for fragile patients.
Technological tools such as augmented reality, 3D reconstruction, and digital simulation models represent major steps forward, improving diagnostic accuracy, enhancing prevention, and enabling non-invasive screening for oncological diseases.
Therefore, research should increasingly focus on precision and personalized medicine, integrating innovative technologies to refine treatment pathways, improve patient experience, and balance accessibility with the sustainability of healthcare systems.
What kind of papers we are soliciting:
We welcome original research, clinical trial reports or protocols, study designs, case series, methodological or technical papers, case perspectives, narrative and systematic reviews, and expert commentaries.
Dr. Paolo Scanagatta
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- thoracic medicine
- lung cancer
- artificial intelligence (AI)
- minimally invasive intervention
- thoracic anesthesia
- clinical innovation
- technological advances
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