Surgical treatment for carcinoma of the esophagus in the elderly patient.
There were 250 Japanese patients with carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus who had been admitted to the Second Department of Surgery at the Kyushu University Hospital from 1972 to 1982. Resection for carcinoma of the esophagus was performed upon 160 of these patients (64 per cent). These 160 patients were classified into three groups according to age, and preoperative examination, postoperative complications, mortality and late results were reported. In patients more than 70 years old, the incidence of abnormal findings at preoperative examination was high with a statistical difference and the incidence of postoperative complications was also high in elderly patients. Although the over-all mortality within one month after operation was seen in eight of 160 patients (5 per cent) surgically treated, the rate was 12.8 per cent when confined to those patients more than 70 years old. Thus, the indication for surgical treatment should be carefully determined for elderly patients with carcinoma of the esophagus. If the elderly patient can tolerate the surgical procedure, the five year survival rate is equal to that of younger patients. Since there is an increase in people more than 70 years old, the surgeon must be prepared for the challenge of treating elderly patients with carcinoma of the esophagus.
D000368:Aged; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests