Surgical strategies for lung cancer patients aged 80 years or older

Lung cancer ranks the leading cause of malignancy-related death worldwide (1). There is an increasing number of octogenarians with operable lung cancer during the latest decades (2). However, life expectancy for people with ≥80 years old is limited by death from a variety of natural causes, especially from malignant progression and coexistent common comorbidities. Thus, octogenarian patients are less likely to expect to undergo surgical resection. Also, both morbidity and mortality rates are higher in octogenarians compared with those in younger patients.