Background: The incidence of lung cancer increases with age. Approximately 50% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are over 70 years old. Because of the increasing elderly population, treatment approaches in this age group continue to be studied similar to groups of young people.
Materials and methods: In the current study, 26 patients who underwent radical surgery and adjuvan chemoradiation at Ataturk Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital were evaluated retrospectively.
Results: Of 21 patients (81%) were male and the average age was 74.4. Lobectomy was performed in 18 cases, pneumonectomy in 3, sleeve lobectomy in 3 and bilobectomy in 2. There was no perioperative or early period mortality. Overall survival was 24.5 months.
Conclusions: From our study, lung cancer surgery and adjuvant therapy can be performed safely with low morbidity in the elderly.