Surgery to cure early-stage lung cancer appears safe even over age 80
A new study has found that surgery to cure early-stage lung cancer can be safe for patients over 80 years old, challenging previous assumptions about age and cancer treatment. The study followed 884 patients and found that carefully selected older patients can tolerate surgery well and achieve comparable outcomes to younger patients.
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York studied 884 patients who had surgery for early-stage lung cancer. The study included patients aged 81 to 85 and found that their survival rate was statistically similar to that of younger patients. The older patients had a 84.2% survival rate after five years, compared to 87.3% for younger patients. While older patients had more postoperative complications, most patients in both groups felt better over time and their quality of life improved within a year. The study suggests that lung-cancer screening guidelines should include patients over 80 years old. The findings highlight the importance of evaluating patients based on their overall health, not just their age.
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