Lung cancer surgery in the elderly.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a typical disease of the elderly, and is becoming increasingly more common as a result of the gradual aging of the population. Although patient age is known to be an independent prognostic factor of postoperative survival, lung resection should not be denied on the basis of age alone. In patients of this kind, careful evaluation and selection is very important. In early-stage NSCLC, surgery is the treatment of choice. In the advanced stages of the disease treatment usually comprises primary radiotherapy or combined radio-chemotherapy. Preoperative preparation and postoperative care are very important in chest surgery, and particularly in elderly patients. The 5-year survival rate in octogenarians exceeds 40%, but is much lower in pneumonectomized patients (close to 10%). In conclusion, elderly patients should be offered the best treatment possible, bearing in mind that surgery offers the best results when the disease is resectable.