Lung Resections for Elderly Patients with Lung Metastases: A Comparative Study of the Postoperative Complications and Overall Survival

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) is an established treatment option for selected patients with stage IV solid tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of and survival rate in PM for elderly patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all of the patients who underwent PM with curative intention at our institution. The patients were categorized into two groups: the elderly group (≥70 years old) and the non-elderly group (<70 years old). Results: The elderly group consisted of 222 patients versus 538 patients in the non-elderly group. The median number of resected metastases was 2 ± 3 in the elderly group and 4 ± 5 in the non-elderly group (p < 0.01). No difference in the rate of postoperative complications was observed between the two groups (p = 0.3). The median length of hospital stay in each group was comparable (10 ± 5 vs. 10 ± 4.3 days, p = 0.3). The 5-year survival rate was 67% in the elderly group and 78% in the non-elderly group (p = 0.117). In the univariate analysis, COPD was associated with poor survival in the elderly group (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The resection of pulmonary metastases in elderly patients is safe, is not associated with increased risks of postoperative complication, and the survival benefit is not reduced in selected patients.