title: Risk factors for postoperative complications in the elderly with lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While surgery for elderly patients has become more common with the aging of populations, the relatively high frequency of postoperative complications prevents broad application. We retrospectively evaluated prognoses after surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer in patients older and younger than 75 years, to investigate whether age contributes to the risk of a poor outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1998 to September 2009, 727 patients underwent curative resection for non-small-cell lung cancer in our department; 119 were over 75-years old (group 1) and 608 (group 2) were aged less than 75 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rates of postoperative complications (49% in group 1 and 40% in group 2) were not significantly different. Age conferred no significant risk, with an odds ratio of 1.129, whereas smoking, blood loss during surgery, and lymph node dissection exhibited significant associations. Those aged over 75 years had a 1.9-fold higher risk of mortality (p < 0.01), but significance did not extend to disease-specific survival (p = 0.117).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative complications in elderly non-small-cell lung cancer patients are dependent on factors such as smoking, blood loss during surgery, and lymph node dissection, but not age. Elderly patients should not be considered ineligible for surgical treatment due to their age alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumihiro
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Guoqin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iyoda
authors.forename: Yukitoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Satoh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016015:Logistic Models; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Age factors; carcinoma; lung neoplasms; non-small-cell lung; postoperative complications; survival rate