[originaltext]Now let’s talk about one struggle for many older people—lung canc

Now let’s talk about one struggle for many older people—lung cancer. (19)The average age at diagnosis is 70. And frequently, these patients are not offered surgery as a treatment. Well, now a study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York finds that surgery can be successful for the majority of older patients.
Every year when Morton Pollner had his checkup, he worried doctors would find something on his lung. For years, they didn’t. Then, he says, his luck ran out. My reaction was, well, you smoked for 30 years. You got away with it for another 30 years, and this is it. I figured it was a death sentence. But it turns out Pollner was still in luck. The cancer had not spread. And at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, doctors offered to do surgery. There was a very good possibility that after this surgery he’d be able to lead a normal life. And it’s worked out. That was seven years ago.
Today, Pollner’s 82 and cancer free. His surgeon, (20)Dr. Prasad Adusumilli, says older patients frequently aren’t offered surgery. In part, he says, that’s because of a mindset that lung cancer, even in early stages, is a death sentence. The patient is elderly. So both the patient, all the family members and the referral physician may think that patient may not tolerate surgery. And so they get referred for supportive care to control symptoms but not to cure the cancer. (21)In a study, Adusumilli looked at more than 2,000 older patients with early stage lung cancer. He found a surprising number did quite well after surgery. Even at 5 years, almost 9 out of 10 patients are alive, and they’re free of lung cancer.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19.What’s the average age of many older people at diagnosis of lung cancer?
20.Why aren’t older patients offered surgery according to Dr. Prasad Adusumilli?
21.How many patients were looked at by Adusumilli in his study?