Lung cancer in the octogenarian.

<bold>Background: </bold>Older patients with lung cancer tend to have significant coexisting diseases and less aggressive treatment is often advisable.<bold>Objective: </bold>To investigate the clinicopathological features of lung cancer in patients aged 80 years and over.<bold>Methods: </bold>The medical records of 966 patients with lung cancer between 1976 and 1999 were reviewed retrospectively.<bold>Results: </bold>There were 56 (5.8%) patients 80 years old or over. Thirty-nine (70%) were male, and 22 (39%) patients had poor performance status (2-4). Some of the patients had a medical history of cardiovascular disease (n = 23; 41%), cerebrovascular disease (n = 5; 9%), diabetes mellitus (n = 11; 20%), or malignant disease (n = 8; 14%). Twenty-one (35%) patients were diagnosed as having surgically resectable disease and 20 patients underwent radiotherapy, but 25 patients only received supportive care because of concomitant illnesses. Only 9 and 2 patients, respectively, had chemotherapy and surgery. There was no statistical difference in the survival rate of the two groups of patients receiving radiotherapy or supportive care.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Adequate palliative care to provide prolonged quality survival is an appropriate primary goal of therapy for lung cancer in the octogenarian until less invasive treatments are developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]