Colorectal cancer in patients over 80 years of age

Abstract

Between January 1, 1973, and December 31, 1986, 1,734 patients underwent colorectal resections for carcinoma. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I included 163 patients aged ≥80 years on first presentation; Group II comprised 1,571 patients aged <80 years. The total perioperative mortality rates for the elderly and young group were 15.3 percent and 5 percent, respectively (P<0.001). The surgical mortality rates after elective operations in Groups I and II were 7.4 and 4.5 percent, respectively, and were not statistically different. Emergency surgery was associated with a significantly higher incidence of perioperative deaths at any age (P<0.001). In the elderly group, most deaths (88 percent) resulted from complications of coexisting medical disorders or thromboembolic complications. The 5-year survival for the young and elderly group were 46.2 percent and 35 percent, respectively (P<0.05). However, excluding patients dying from nonmalignant disease, the 5-year survival rate did not differ significantly between the two groups of patients (49.5 percent vs. 41.2 percent).