A retrospective analysis comparing patients 70 years or older to patients younger than 70 years with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with surgery at Indiana University: 1989-1999

TY - JOUR

T1 - A retrospective analysis comparing patients 70 years or older to patients younger than 70 years with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with surgery at Indiana University

T2 - 1989-1999

AU - Hanna, Nasser

AU - Brooks, Jo Ann

AU - Daggy, Joanne

AU - Kesler, Kenneth

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - Surgery remains the cornerstone of therapy for medically operable patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there are few reports on the short-term morbidity and long-term survival following surgery in elderly patients with NSCLC. The surgical experience in 280 patients with NSCLC at Indiana University from 1989-1999 are reported with a comparison of patients who are ≥ 70 years versus < 70 years of age. Preoperative characteristics, operative procedures, postoperative courses, and survival were compared between the age groups. Fifty percent of elderly patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 36.2% had adenocarcinoma, versus 41.3% and 44.4% in younger patients, respectively. In both groups, most patients had T1 or T2 tumors and NO disease. The majority of patients in both age groups had a lobectomy. However, more patients younger than 70 years had chest wall resections and were more likely to undergo a pneumonectomy (19.5% vs. 6.9%). The median number of postoperative hospital days was shorter for younger patients (9 days vs. 11 days). Overall, more complications occurred in older patients, but no significant difference in cardiac or pulmonary complications was observed between the groups. There was no significant difference in survival between the age groups. This single-institution series demonstrates that surgical intervention for appropriately selected elderly patients with NSCLC results in similar complication rates and long-term survival when compared to their younger counterparts.

AB - Surgery remains the cornerstone of therapy for medically operable patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there are few reports on the short-term morbidity and long-term survival following surgery in elderly patients with NSCLC. The surgical experience in 280 patients with NSCLC at Indiana University from 1989-1999 are reported with a comparison of patients who are ≥ 70 years versus < 70 years of age. Preoperative characteristics, operative procedures, postoperative courses, and survival were compared between the age groups. Fifty percent of elderly patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 36.2% had adenocarcinoma, versus 41.3% and 44.4% in younger patients, respectively. In both groups, most patients had T1 or T2 tumors and NO disease. The majority of patients in both age groups had a lobectomy. However, more patients younger than 70 years had chest wall resections and were more likely to undergo a pneumonectomy (19.5% vs. 6.9%). The median number of postoperative hospital days was shorter for younger patients (9 days vs. 11 days). Overall, more complications occurred in older patients, but no significant difference in cardiac or pulmonary complications was observed between the groups. There was no significant difference in survival between the age groups. This single-institution series demonstrates that surgical intervention for appropriately selected elderly patients with NSCLC results in similar complication rates and long-term survival when compared to their younger counterparts.

KW - Age

KW - Chest wall resection

KW - Lobectomy

KW - Pneumonectomy

KW - Segmentectomy

KW - Surgical outcomes

KW - T1 and T2 stage tumors

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036195112&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036195112&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article

C2 - 14662043

AN - SCOPUS:0036195112

VL - 3

SP - 200

EP - 204

JO - Clinical Lung Cancer

JF - Clinical Lung Cancer

SN - 1525-7304

IS - 3

ER -