title: Hepatectomy is a reasonable option for older patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatic resection is the main treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. However, surgery is generally stressful for older patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinicopathologic data and outcomes after hepatic resection were retrospectively investigated for older patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The younger group (n = 219) included patients aged 60 to 69 years, and the older group (n = 60) included patients >70 years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hepatitis B virus was more common in the younger group than in the older group (64.5% vs 28.8%, P < .001). The occurrence of pneumonia was higher in older group than in the younger group (10.0% vs 2.3%, P = .015), but postoperative complications and mortality were not significantly different between the 2 groups. There was no statistically significant difference in disease-free survival rates between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the incidence of postoperative pneumonia was higher in the older group than in the younger group, hepatic resection was justified for hepatocellular carcinoma in selected patients >70 years of age.
authors: Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-Dong Gangnam-Gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors: Jong Man
authors: JM
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-Dong Gangnam-Gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors: Bong Ick
authors: BI
authors: Cho
authors: Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-Dong Gangnam-Gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors: Choon Hyuck David
authors: CH
authors: Kwon
authors: Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-Dong Gangnam-Gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea. Electronic address: jw.joh@samsung.com.
authors: Jae-Won
authors: JW
authors: Joh
authors: Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-Dong Gangnam-Gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors: Jae Berm
authors: JB
authors: Park
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Joon Hyeok
authors: JH
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-Dong Gangnam-Gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors: Sung Joo
authors: SJ
authors: Kim
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Seung Woon
authors: SW
authors: Paik
authors: Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Cheol Keun
authors: CK
authors: Park
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015897:Comorbidity; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Hepatic resection; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Older; Pneumonia; Postoperative mortality