Results of surgical resection in patients over the age of 70 years with non small-cell lung cancer

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
METHODS: From January 1989 to October 1993, at the Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery of the University of Modena, 806 patients underwentthoracotomy and curative pulmonary resection for non small-cell lungcancer. Eighty five patients were 70 years old or older (mean 73.4 years,range 70-88). There were 78 males (91.7%) and 7 females (8.3%). Thispopulation was compared to 130 younger patients (under 70 years old),treated during the same period and with similar features with respect tothe type of resection, sex, histology, grading and staging. Lobectomy wasthe procedure of preference in both groups. RESULTS: As regardspostoperative mortality and overall complications, no significantdifferences were noted between the two groups of patients (two youngerpatients died and 43.8% had postoperative complications; one patient of theolder group died and 55.2% had postoperative complications), but in theolder ones a higher incidence of cardiovascular complications was found (P< 0.01). With respect to the long-term survival (follow-up 12-70months), no significant difference was found between the two groups.CONCLUSION: Such findings show that pulmonary resection for bronchogeniccancer is feasible and justified in patients more than 70 years old, evenif a higher incidence of cardiovascular complications may occur: a carefulpreoperative selection ought to be performed and lobectomy should bepreferred.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: