title: The outcome of surgical treatment for elderly patients with gastric carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to clarify the operative mortality and long-term survival of gastrectomy for elderly patients with gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 461 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer in our hospital were classified as elderly group (≥80 years-old, 95 patients) and control group (60-69 years-old, 366 patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of comorbidities was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in elderly group (74.7%) than that in the control group (49.5%). No significant difference of the postoperative complication rate was found between the elderly group (23.2%) and the control group (23.2%). Adjuvant chemotherapy was 9.5% in the elderly group, which was significantly less than 29.0% of the control group (P < 0.05). Stage II and III elderly patients had worse disease specific survival (DSS) than controls did. In the elderly, overall survival (OS) was significantly worse than DSS in stage I patients (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The operative complication rate of elderly patients was comparable to the control group. Comorbidity and occurrence of secondary malignant disease should be followed for elderly patients at stage I. For stage II and III disease patients, a novel drug which is acceptable for the elderly is needed as a postoperative therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsunobu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muguruma
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagahara
authors.forename: Kenjiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toyokawa
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: Naoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohtani
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yashiro
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Masaichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohira
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: elderly patients; gastrectomy; gastric cancer; long-term outcome; postoperative treatment