Dr. Emily Finlayson of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor said the outcomes of high-risk cancer operations in those age 80 and older are considerably worse than reported in case studies and published survival statistics.

"We believe that our population-based study yields more realistic results because it is representative of patient data from 1,000 hospitals across the country, not just data from the top hospitals," Finlayson said in a statement.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, found statistics for lung, esophageal or pancreatic cancer showed death during the surgical procedure among octogenarians was substantially higher than that of younger patients for all three cancers.

Older age was strongly associated with decreased likelihood of being discharged home after the operation with discharges to extended care facilities ranging from 24 percent after lung resection to 44 percent after esophagectomy. Five-year survival in octogenarians was low for all three cancers.

"Our study provides a wake up call that the realistic risks and long-term benefits of major cancer operations differ for older patients when compared to their younger counterparts," Finlayson said.