Pulmonary Resection for Primary Lung Cancer in a 97 year-old

Current trends in increased life-expectancy and lung cancer incidence have led to a growing number of elderly patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer. Advances in surgical techniques and perioperative care have led to improved outcomes in octogenarians undergo pulmonary resection. There have been few reports, however, of surgical management in patients over the age of ninety years. Here we report the case of a fit 97-year-old gentleman who underwent thoracotomy and lingular-sparing upper lobectomy for the management of a T2a N0 squamous cell carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the oldest individual reported to have undergone anatomical resection for primary lung cancer. The patient was discharged on day 14 postoperatively with no significant post-operative morbidity. Although further evidence is required to establish the role of surgery for lung cancer in nonagenarians, pulmonary resection has been shown to be feasible in selected patients and should not be excluded on the basis of age alone.