Whether an 80-year-old man can undergo thyroid cancer surgery needs to be assessed according to the patient’s condition, physical condition and other comprehensive assessment, and cannot be generalized. Surgery is an important method to treat thyroid cancer; depending on the pathological type of thyroid cancer and the extent of invasion, different surgical methods are chosen. Surgical treatment for thyroid cancer includes removal of the thyroid gland itself, and incidental neck lymph node dissection. For 80 years old patients with advanced thyroid cancer and distant metastasis, they should undergo surgical resection if their physical condition permits, and be treated with iodine 131 after surgery. In addition, for patients with more comorbid underlying diseases, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, renal failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc., and whose physical condition is poor and difficult to tolerate the surgery, a comprehensive assessment is needed to decide whether to carry out the surgical treatment or not. Therefore, whether an 80-year-old thyroid cancer patient can be operated or not, it is necessary to formulate an individualized treatment plan after the doctor conducts a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s condition and physical status.