title: Differences in the survival rates of older patients with colorectal cancers in 2003 and 2009.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate survival in patients aged ≥70 years who underwent colorectal cancer surgery in 2003 and 2009. In addition, we aimed to identify the factors that could affect survival in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study, a retrospective review of the data for 878 patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery with curative intent in the years 2003 and 2009 was performed. The primary outcome was the 5-year overall survival rate (5-OSR), and the clinicopathologic factors that could affect overall survival were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-OSR was 77.8% and 84.9% in 2003 and 2009, respectively (P = 0.013). Age, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, stage, type of surgery, and length of hospital stay possibly affected survival per the univariate and multivariate analyses. In patients aged ≥70 years, the 5-OSR in 2009 was 75.9%, which showed improvement compared to 53.7% in 2003 (P = 0.027). The stage, type of surgery, and hospital stay were the variables that possibly affected survival in patients aged ≥70 years per the univariate analysis, whereas the stage (III; hazard ratio [HR], 2.188; P = 0.005) and length of hospital stay (>12 days; HR, 2.307; P = 0.004), were the variables that showed statistical significance on the multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that early stage and shortening the length of hospital stay could affect survival in older patients with colorectal cancers. Because of limited evidence on the influence of shortening the length of hospital stay on survival in older patients, further investigations are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Center for Colorectal Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Je-Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Center for Colorectal Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Kwan
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Center for Colorectal Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for Colorectal Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Bun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for Colorectal Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Chang
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for Colorectal Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Chan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Center for Colorectal Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Su
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Center for Colorectal Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Dae Kyung
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.affiliation: Center for Colorectal Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Oh
keywords: Aged; Colorectal neoplasms; Surgery