[Surgical treatment for colorectal cancer in patients over 80 years. Short and long term results].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the results of elective surgical treatment for colo-rectal cancer in the elderly.


METHODS
A total of 746 patients were consequently operated on in elective conditions for colorectal cancer. Patients were divided into 4 groups, according to patient's age: Group A > or =80; Group B=70-79; Group C=60-69; Group D < or = 60.


RESULTS
Between older patients there was a higher percentage of right colon cancers (A: 26.3%; B: 13.9%; C: 16.6%; D: 20.6%) and stage D tumors (A: 34.4%; B: 28.3%; C: 21.4%; D: 26%), explaining the greater proportion of palliative surgical treatment in this group of patients (A: 34.7%; B: 28.2%; C: 28.6%; D: 25.7%). There were no differences in term of morbidity (A: 12.6%; B: 9.2%; C: 5.1%; D: 6.4%), mean hospital stay (A: 18.9+/-16.2 days; B: 17.2+/-15.8; C: 15.2+/-8.6; D: 16.8+/-21.8) and postoperative mortality (A: 3.1%; B: 2.3%; C-D: 0.4%); on the contrary, survival curve in group A was significantly shorter than in the other groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Advanced age is not per se a negative prognostic factor and consequently does not represent a contraindication to surgery. In fact, long-term results have been proved to be similar both in young and old patients. Nevertheless, elderly patients have a lower capacity to react to postoperative complications; this needs an accurate evaluation of single patient, considering different parameters such as disease stage, possibility of cure or palliation, quality and expectancy of life.
Capra
F
F
Chirurgia Generale II, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. fabio.capra@tin.it
Scintu
F
F
Zorcolo
L
L
Casula
G
G
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome