title: [Clinicopathological study of autopsy cases of pancreatic carcinoma in the elderly].
abstract: A total of 257 autopsy cases of pancreatic carcinoma, including 160 male and 97 female cases with an average age of 68.2 years, were divided into an aged group (70 years or older, 136 cases) and a control group (younger than 70 years, 121 cases), and their respective clinicopathological features were compared. The male to female ratio was 1.2:1 in the aged group and 2.6:1 in the control group. In both groups, abdominal pain was noted in about one-third of the cases as the primary symptom, followed by appetite loss and icterus. Concerning the primary symptoms, the two groups did not differ from each other. The rate of surgical resection was higher in the control group (24.0%) than the aged group (10.3%). Mean survival times were similar in both groups (5.71 months for the aged group and 6.01 for the control group). Intrapancreatic location of the tumor showed similar tendencies in both groups. However, cancer of the head of the pancreas was 2.3 times more common than body/tail cancer in cases aged 80 or more. Approximately 90% of the cases were diagnosed as ductal carcinoma by histological examination. The degree of differentiation was similar in both groups, but the well differentiated type was somewhat predominant in cases 80 years or older. Metastasis or direct invasion was noted to the liver, peritoneum and lung in this order in both groups. Liver and lymph node metastasis were less frequent in cases 80 years or older. Multiple primary cancers were noted in 8.8% of the aged group and 9.1% of the control.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Nagoya University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshimine
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yatani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*