title: Colorectal cancer among patients aged 75 years or over.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk factors for mortality, morbidity, and long-term survival in elderly patients with colorectal cancer when compared to younger patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients operated on with colorectal cancer were divided into 2 groups according to age: Group 1 (75 years old or older, n=90) and group 2 (<75 years, n=430).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preoperative hemoglobin levels were lower in group 1 (p = 0.008). Poorer clinical status defined by ASA score (p = 0.008) results and blood transfusions (p = 0.003) were more frequent in group 1 when compared to group 2. Group 1 had a significantly higher operative mortality rate than group 2 (p = 0.01). Regarding cancer-related survival after 1, 2, and 4 years, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poorer clinical conditions with special regard to anemia are more frequent among patients of 75 years and older and this finding may lead to an increase in operative mortality when compared to younger patients. Even though, senior patients with colorectal cancer should not be denied surgical and adjuvant therapy on account of age alone since cancer-related survival remains comparable to younger patients' results.
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Surgery Division, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil. sergioed@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Sergio Eduardo Alonso
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.forename: Pedro Paulo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: de Paris Caravatto
authors.forename: Fabio Guilherme Caserta Marysael
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: de Campos
authors.forename: Alfonso Henrique
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: da Silva e Sousa
authors.forename: Sergio Carlos
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Nahas
authors.forename: Desidério Roberto
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cecconello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003082:Colectomy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003125:Colostomy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006452:Hemoglobinometry; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors