Results of surgical treatment of lung cancer in octogenarians

The treatment of potentially resectable lung cancer in octogenarians has be come a frequent clinical problem, due to the increasing number of elderly p eople maintaining an active daily life. In the present study, we reviewed t he clinical records of patients to evaluate the results of the surgical tre atment of lung cancer in octogenarians. From 1992 to 1995, 18 patients aged 80 years or older (octogenarians) with primary lung cancer underwent surgi cal resections including: three (16.7%) sleeve lobectomies, nine (50.0%) lo bectomies, one (5.5%) segmentectomy, and five (27.8%) partial resections. T he postoperative complication rate was 50% in octogenarians; however, no fa tal complications were observed. The 5-year survival rate was 42.6%, which was similar to that obtained in younger patients. Based on our findings, th e surgical treatment of lung cancer can thus be performed. in selected octo genarians without increasing either morbidity or mortality, while also obta ining long-term survival. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.