Outcome of gastric cancer surgery in elderly patients

The aim of the study was to review cases of gastric cancers in elderly adults (70 years of age and older), and compare demographic, clinical, pathologic features and outcomes of surgical treatment with younger patients (below 70 years of age).

The analysis included 3431 patients treated for gastric cancer between 1977 and 1998 at eight university surgical centers cooperating for the Polish Gastric Cancer Study Group (PGCSG). Patients were analyzed retrospectively according to data obtained from standardized forms and divided into two groups: group I--patients 70 years of age and over, group II--younger patients.

There were no significant differences between these two groups in clinical symptoms at the time of diagnosis and tumor advancement. The incidence of the intestinal type according to Lauren (55.9% vs. 43.9%;p<0.05) and distally-located cancers (40.8% vs. 31.3%; p<0.05) was higher in group I. Total gastrectomies and extended lymph node dissection were performed more often in younger patients. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications between both groups, except the higher incidence of abdominal abscesses in the younger group. The overall 5-year survival was 24% and 35% for group I and II, respectively (p<0.05), and increased to 35% and 53% after radical resections, respectively. However, there were no statistically significant differences in stage-specific survival between both groups.

Surgical resection is the method of choice in the treatment of gastric cancer. Age of the patients is not a contraindication to surgical treatment of gastric cancer.