RESULTS OF SURGICAL RESECTION IN PATIENTS OVER THE AGE OF 70 YEARS WITH NON-SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER

Methods: From January 1989 to October 1993, at the Department of Cardi o-Thoracic Surgery of the University of Modena, 806 patients underwent thoracotomy and curative pulmonary resection for non small-cell lung cancer. Eighty five patients were 70 years old or older (mean 73.4 yea rs, range 70-88). There were 78 males (91.7%) and 7 females (8.3%). Th is population was compared to 130 younger patients (under 70 years old ), treated during the same period and with similar features with respe ct to the type of resection, sex, histology, grading and staging. Lobe ctomy was the procedure of preference in both groups. Results: As rega rds postoperative mortality and overall complications, no significant differences were noted between the two groups of patients (two younger patients died and 43.8% had postoperative complications; one patient of the older group died and 55.2% had postoperative complications), bu t in the older ones a higher incidence of cardiovascular complications was found (P < 0.01). With respect to the long-term survival (follow- up 12-70 months), no significant difference was found between the two groups. Conclusion: Such findings show that pulmonary resection for br onchogenic cancer is feasible and justified in patients more than 70 y ears old, even if a higher incidence of cardiovascular complications m ay occur: a careful preoperative selection ought to be performed and l obectomy should be preferred. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.