title: Should patients over 85 years old be operated on for colorectal cancer?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to evaluate risk factors for mortality, morbidity, and long-term survival in very old patients with colorectal cancer compared with old patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients operated on with colorectal cancer aged 75 years old or older were divided into 2 groups: Group A (75-84 years, n = 93) and Group B (>or=85, n = 21).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum albumin level, oxygen pressure in arterial blood gases, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second in Group B were significantly lower than in Group A, respectively (P = 0.0094, 0.0264, 0.0363). Pulmonary complications were developed significantly more frequently in Group B than in Group A (P = 0.0019). Group B had a significantly higher mortality rate than Group A (P = 0.0477). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the 2- and 5-year survival rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Very old patients with colorectal cancer should not be denied surgery on account of chronological age alone, although the perioperative risks for the very old are very high.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tone Chuo Hospital, Numata-city, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsuzuki
authors.forename: Tetsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sekihara
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kori
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asao
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome