LIMITS AND RESULTS OF CURATIVE RESECTIONS IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH LUNG-CANCER

In a retrospective study, we analyzed the effect of the age of the pat ients on long-term results of curative resections for lung cancer. Bet ween 1989 and 1995, 771 patients with resectable lung cancer were reco rded in our department. Of these patients, 141 (18.4%) were 70 years o r older (median: 73 years, range 70-85). The analysis of longterm surv ival, including non-cancer-related deaths, demonstrated a poorer progn osis for the older patients. This was, however, mainly due to an incre ased rate of deaths in patients with advanced tumor stages, while ther e were no significant differences between younger and older patients w ith stage I or II lung cancer.