Management of colorectal cancer in elderly patients over 80 years old

AIM: The incidence of colorectal cancer is increasing. Surgery and chemotherapy for elderly patients are also increasing. We evaluated the characteristics of elderly colorectal cancer to clarify issues related to surgical therapy for elderly patients. METHOD: We studied 67 patients (38 men, 29 women) over 80 years old on whom we operated for colorectal cancer from 1990 to 2004. We compared them with 130 patients aged from 70 to 74 who were operated on in the same period, examining clinicopathological factors, operative methods, preoperative morbidity, postoperative complications, chemotherapy and postoperative survival ratio. RESULTS: In the elderly patients aged over 80, the rate of Dukes' B was high, whereas the rate of Dukes' A was high in patients aged from 70 to 74. No significant differences were observed in operative methods for colon cancer but Hartmann's operation and transanal local excision were frequent for rectal cancer in patients aged over 80. The rate of lymph node dissection was low in patients aged over 80 with rectal cancer. A significant difference was observed in lymph node dissection of rectal cancer between patients aged over 80 and those aged from 70 to 74, but there was no significant difference in curative ratio. Preoperative morbidity were recognized in 76% of patients aged over 80. Postoperative complications occurred in 51% of patients aged over 80. There were many cases showing delirium, but no differences in other complications between patients aged over 80 and those aged from 70 to 74. There was no operative mortality in patients aged over 80. CONCLUSION: Even elderly patients can anticipate safe operations without postoperative complications or decreased quality of life, if the appropriate operative procedure is selected with regard to their general condition.