[Postoperative treatment after lung resection in old age (author's transl)]

177 lung cancer patients over 70 years old treated during the period from 1961 to 1975 were analyzed and evaluated for surgical resection. 109 cases were lobectomies, 39 nontypical resections and 29 were pneumonectomies. The postoperative mortality was 6.2%. Our concept of surgical treatment for patients with lung cancer over 70 years of age is as follows: Avoid pneumonectomy, prefer lobectomy or non-typical resection. The five years survival rate among 77 elderly patients amounted to 35%.