Favorable surgical results for patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer over 80 years old: a multicenter survey.
BACKGROUND
Surgery for elderly patients, especially those over 80 years old, with primary lung neoplasms is a relatively common treatment according to the increasing elderly population. We reviewed our experiences to evaluate surgical outcomes in over-80-year-old patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
We reviewed and analyzed the clinical records of 146 consecutive over-80-year-old patients (Group 1) and 926 control patients (65 years old and younger) (Group 2) with NSCLC who underwent surgical resections from 1981 to 2006.


RESULTS
The mean ages of Group 1 and Group 2 were 82.6 and 56.2 years old, respectively. The ratio of the clinical and pathological Stage I was higher than the Stages II-IV in Group 1, and that of pathological Stage III was higher in Group 2. Segmental and wedge resection were selected more frequently in Group 1, otherwise, pneumonectomy and lobectomy were selected more frequently in Group 2. The ratio of squamous cell carcinoma was higher in Group 1 than in Group 2. When we divided the time of surgeries into decades, the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, the ratio of elder to younger patients was clearly increased according to era: 6.6%, 13.7%, and 18.8%. Furthermore, incomplete operation cases were significantly decreased in the two groups. There was no difference of overall survival in either. When examined for overall survival, except for patients with incomplete resection, there was no significant difference between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgery is the convenient treatment for elderly NSCLC patients, especially, for those who can undergo complete resection.
Suemitsu
Ryuichi
R
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Clinical Research Institute, National Hospital Organization, Kyushu Medical Center, and Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Yamaguchi
Masafumi
M
Takeo
Sadanori
S
Ondo
Kaoru
K
Ueda
Hitoshi
H
Yoshino
Ichiro
I
Maehara
Yoshihiko
Y
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome