FRIDAY, April 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Surgical treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with similarly favorable safety and long-term outcomes for octogenarians and for younger patients, according to a study published in the April issue of The Lancet Regional Health: Americas.
Louis Gros, M.D., from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, and colleagues compared postoperative outcomes, survival, and quality of life (QoL) between octogenarians (80 years and older) and younger patients undergoing surgery for stage IA NSCLC. Physical and mental health scores assessed at baseline and at one, six, and 12 months after surgery were used to measure QoL.
Overall, 114 (12.9 percent) of the 884 patients were octogenarians. The researchers found that octogenarians had similar comorbidities compared with younger patients but more often underwent sublobar resections (78.9 versus 62.4 percent) and had higher complication rates (40 versus 22 percent), especially cardiovascular complications. Octogenarians had slightly more intensive care unit admissions and readmissions. Physical and mental health declined at two months but improved by 12 months in both age groups, with no significant differences. Octogenarians and younger patients had similar five-year overall and lung cancer-specific survival rates (overall: 84.2 versus 87.3 percent; lung cancer-specific: 94.4 versus 94.5 percent).
"When lung cancer is found at an early stage, patients (even those over 80) can benefit from treatments that offer a real chance at a cure," lead author Claudia I. Henschke, M.D., Ph.D., also from the Icahn School of Medicine, said in a statement. "This study shows that with the right approach, we can extend both life and quality of life for older adults."
Two authors disclosed ties to industry.