1999 Volume 13 Issue 6 Pages 718-724
A retrospective analysis of the clinical features, operative procedures, postoperative complications and subsequent survival of 79 elderly patients (75 years old or over) undergoing surgery for lung cancer compared with 367 younger patients treated during the same period was performed.
The elderly group were more likely to have male patients, squamous cell carcinoma, preexisting disease, and post operative complication.
There was a statistically significant difference in the 5-year survival rate among the two groups (39.5% in the elderly group and 57.9% in the younger group), but no difference in the recurrence rate among two groups. We thought these results were influenced by some unrelated diseases. In the treatment of elderly lung cancer patients, we emphasize the importance of careful management in the perioperative period and thought that it was necessary to consider minimally invasive surgery or limited operation in selected cases.
