Colorectal cancer in patients over 80 years of age

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).