Lung Cancer Treated Surgically in Patients <50 Years of Age

Some investigators have suggestedthat lung cancer in young patients has a more aggressive course and apoorer prognosis than lung cancer in older patients. The aim of thisstudy was to determine if the basal characteristics and survival inyounger patients with lung cancer undergoing surgical resection differfrom those of older patients. Retrospectiveclinical study. Of 1,208 consecutivepatients who underwent surgery for primary lung cancer between June1984 and March 2000, we reviewed the medical records of 110 youngerpatients who were < 50 years of age at the time of surgery andcompared them with 1,098 older patients (≥ 50 years of age). Alldeaths were included. In the younger patientgroup, asymptomatic disease and adenocarcinoma was significantly morefrequent, the rate of smoking was significantly higher, and the amountof smoking (Brinkman index) was significantly larger. For the 94younger patients with complete resection, the 5-year survival rate was61.0%, which was not significantly higher than that for the 923 olderpatients (57.7%). However, the 53 younger patients with stage Idisease (5-year survival of 84.3%) had significantly better survivalthan older patients with the same condition (71.6%). Survival ofpatients in stage II or stage III disease was not significantlydifferent. The younger patients hadsignificantly better prognoses, and a statistical difference was shownespecially in the early stage, while in the advanced stage themalignancy of the lung cancer itself surpassed the difference insurvival.