title: High postoperative risk after pneumonectomy in elderly patients with right-sided lung cancer.
abstract: The present study investigated postoperative mortality (POM), its predictors and relationship with long-term survival in patients who underwent surgery for lung cancer. The 30-day mortality after thoracotomy in 1,830 patients from the Flemish multicentre hospital-based lung cancer registry was analysed according to patient, tumour, treatment and hospital characteristics and compared with 5-yr survival figures for the same patients. Overall POM was 4.4%. In univariate analysis age, extent of surgery and low hospital volume were associated with a higher POM. In multiple regression analysis age, extent of surgery and side of the pneumonectomy proved to be independent predictors of POM. In patients aged >70 yrs who underwent right-sided pneumonectomy POM was 17.8%. Overall, mortality was comparable to published series from referral centres. Age and extent of resection are the main predictors of postoperative mortality in lung-cancer patients. In the operable elderly patient, age alone does not justify denying the survival benefit experienced by resection of lung cancer. The high mortality after right-sided pneumonectomy in elderly patients warrants caution, as the treatment benefit may become marginal.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Rotterdam, Dept of Pulmonology, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: van Meerbeeck
authors.forename: R A M
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Damhuis
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vos de Wael
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate