Is lung resection surgery safe and effective for elderly patients with lung cancer?
Advanced age alone is not an absolute contraindication for lung resection in early-stage lung cancer, though pneumonectomy carries a higher mortality risk in the elderly.
Age 1. Perioperative morbidity increases with advancing age. Elderly patients undergoing lung resection are more likely to require intensive perioperative support. Preoperatively, a careful assessment of co-morbidity needs to be made. B 2. Surgery for clinically stage I and II disease can be as eVective in patients over 70 years as in younger patients. Such patients should be considered for surgical treatment regardless of age. B 3. Age over 80 alone is not a contraindication to lobectomy or wedge resection for clinically stage I disease. B 4. Pneumonectomy is associated with a higher mortality risk in the elderly. Age should be a factor in deciding suitability for pneumonectomy. B 90 BTS/SCTS www.thoraxjnl.com
British Thoracic Society (Thu,) studied this question.