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Vol.50 No.2 contents | Japanese/English |
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- Original Article -
Clinical Stage I Lung Cancer in an Aging Population
Katsutoshi Ando1, Kazufusa Shoji2, Motoji Fukazawa3, Akihiko Takeshi3, Masaru Abe3, Ryo Matsunuma1, Nobuhiro Asai1, Masafumi Misawa1, Norihiro Kaneko11Department of Pulmonology, 2Department of Radiology, 3Department of Respiratory Surgery, Kameda Medical Center, Japan
Background. The number of elderly patients who are given diagnoses of clinical stage I lung cancer is predicted to increase with the aging population and the development of diagnostic imaging. We conducted a retrospective study assessing the problems in those cases. Methods. From October 1999 to September 2008, 358 patients were given a diagnosis of clinical stage I lung cancer in Kameda Medical Center. We classified them into 3 groups; the 2nd elderly group (≥75 years), the 1st elderly group (65-74 years) and the non-elderly group (≤64 years), and retrospectively compared them. Results. A total of 111 patients (31.0%) were elderly and 59.5% of these had undergone surgery. The inoperable cases had poorer lung function and a higher ratio of comorbidity including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiac diseases or kidney diseases. For inoperable patients we selected radiotherapy, including stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), or best supportive care. The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates and locoregional recurrence rates did not differ between the SRT group and the operative group. Conclusion. The number of patients who cannot undergo resection is predicted to increase with the aging population in Japan. The most important factor concerned with indications for surgery was the presence of comorbid diseases. We need to assess the patient backgrounds including complications, establish clear surgical indications, and continue the development and diffusion of local treatments such as SRT.
key words: Lung cancer, Comorbid diseases, Elderly
Received: September 15, 2009
Accepted: December 18, 2009
JJLC 50 (2): 115-121, 2010
