Management of elderly patients with lung cancer

The majority of patients with lung cancer (LC) are elderly patients, since 60% of the newly diagnosed patients with LC are >65 years old and 30% are >70 years old. It is common for elderly patients to suffer from a variety of chronic diseases and hence receive multiple drug treatments, which combined with their particular psychosocial and financial situation makes the process of diagnosis, staging and treatment of the disease difficult; therefore, it is necessary to employ an individualized approach. We thoroughly reviewed the differences between elderly and younger patients with lung cancer and pinpoint the need for an individualized approach to the management of elderly patients with lung cancer.

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