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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
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Thoracoscopic Extended Right Middle Plus Lower Sleeve Lobectomy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Published on: February 27, 2026
Lung cancer surgery in nonagenarians
Takashi Iwata1, Kiyotoshi Inoue, Noritoshi Nishiyama
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Summary
Pulmonary resection is a feasible treatment for carefully selected nonagenarians with lung cancer. Two elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) underwent successful surgery, showing good recovery and no recurrence.
Area of Science:
- Thoracic Surgery
- Oncology
- Geriatric Medicine
Background:
- Lung cancer presents a significant challenge in the elderly population, particularly in nonagenarians (individuals in their 90s).
- Surgical intervention for lung cancer in extremely elderly patients requires careful consideration of risks and benefits.
Observation:
- Two nonagenarian men (93 and 92 years old) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with pulmonary resection.
- The first patient underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for stage IA NSCLC, while the second had a more complex thoracotomy for stage IB NSCLC with diaphragmatic involvement.
Findings:
- Both patients experienced successful surgical outcomes with acceptable postoperative recovery periods (16 and 28 days).
- The 93-year-old patient remained disease-free at 6 months post-surgery, and the 92-year-old patient was well at 42 months post-surgery.
- These cases suggest that pulmonary resection can be a viable option for select nonagenarian lung cancer patients.
Implications:
- Surgical resection should be considered as a potential treatment modality for carefully selected nonagenarian patients diagnosed with lung cancer.
- Further research with larger cohorts is needed to definitively establish the feasibility and long-term outcomes of lung cancer surgery in this unique demographic.