Chemotherapy After Lung Cancer Surgery: New Study Questions Benefits for Patients Over 75

Lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer worldwide. When doctors remove lung tumors through surgery in patients with stage II or III non-small cell lung cancer, they often recommend additional chemotherapy treatment afterward. This extra treatment, called adjuvant chemotherapy, helps patients live longer. However, doctors aren’t sure if this treatment helps elderly patients over 75 years old because there haven’t been enough studies focused on this age group.

Researchers at Marseille University Hospital in France studied 129 patients over 75 who had lung cancer surgery between 2013 and 2022. Of these patients, 36 received chemotherapy after surgery while 93 did not. The scientists wanted to see if the extra chemotherapy helped these older patients live longer without their cancer coming back.

The study found some interesting patterns. Doctors were more likely to give chemotherapy to patients who were healthier overall and younger within the 75-plus age group. They also gave it more often to patients whose cancer had spread to nearby lymph nodes, which makes the cancer more serious.

At first, the results looked promising. Patients who received chemotherapy seemed to have better survival rates and were less likely to die without their cancer returning. However, when researchers looked more carefully at other factors that affect survival in elderly patients, the benefits of chemotherapy became less clear.

The researchers concluded that while chemotherapy after surgery can be safely given to healthy elderly lung cancer patients, doctors need to carefully weigh the benefits against the risks. Older patients face other health challenges that can affect their survival, not just cancer. The study suggests that doctors should focus on identifying which elderly patients are most likely to benefit from this treatment, especially those with more advanced cancer that has spread to lymph nodes.