Risk factors for postoperative complications and long-term survival in lung cancer patients older than 80 years

Concomitantly with worldwide population aging, the incidence of lung cancer has been gradually increasing, especially in octogenarian patients (1,2). Because of the physiology and functional status of octogenarians, choosing the most suitable treatment strategy for them is an issue of particular concern. In 1989, Shirakusa and colleagues reported favorable outcomes in octogenarian lung cancer patients who underwent surgical resection from 1978 to 1987 (3). Since then, numerous studies have investigated lung cancer surgery in octogenarians, seeking to identify criteria that can predict the prognosis of octogenarian patients in terms of long-term outcomes and postoperative complications.