Lung cancer in the elderly patient.

One half of all cases of lung cancer occur in patients aged 65 years and older. Although adenocarcinoma is the predominant histologic subtype in the general population, squamous cell carcinoma has remained the most common type in the elderly. Although lung cancer tends to present at a less advanced stage with increasing age, the percentage of elderly patients undergoing treatment tends to decline despite the fact that they can tolerate the aggressive therapy that may enhance survival.