title: Major Gastrointestinal Cancer Resections in the Elderly in India: Poised for Future Challenges.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are no data on surgical outcomes of major gastrointestinal cancer resections in the expanding Indian oncogeriatric population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective database of patients who underwent major gastrointestinal cancer resections during varying time periods (2006-2014) was analyzed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two thousand six hundred and forty three patients with a median age of 53 were analyzed. Four hundred and seventy two (17.9%) patients were aged ≥65 years and 235 (8.9%) patients were ≥70 years. Mortality rates were not significantly higher in the elderly (≥65 years) or the very elderly (≥70 years) when compared to younger controls, being 2.8 vs. 1.6% (p = 0.09) and 3.0 vs. 1.7% (p = 0.162) respectively. Overall morbidity was similar for patients ≥65 or <65 years (24.2 vs. 21.7%, p = 0.253), but was higher in patients ≥70 years (29.8 vs. 21.4%, p = 0.003). The incidence of severe complications, however, was not significantly greater in this age group (13.2 vs. 12.5%, p = 0.74).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Major gastrointestinal cancer resections in the elderly Indian population, though uncommon, are safe when performed at experienced high volume centres. These results should serve as a starting point for the gradual development of dedicated oncogeriatric programs in the Indian subcontinent.
authors.affiliation: Department of GI and HPB Surgical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr. Ernest Borges Road, Parel, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Batra
authors.forename: Kunal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suradkar
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talole
authors.forename: Ashwin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Desouza
authors.forename: Mahesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: Shailesh Vinayak
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Shrikhande
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016208:Databases, Factual; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome