Study on the Validity of Pancreaticoduodenectomy in the Elderly

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is still the only curative treatment for periampullary cancer. Confirming the outcomes of PD in elderly patients is important as the aging population continues to grow.

We analyzed 340 patients with periampullary cancer who underwent PD, dividing them into three groups by age: group A: aged 64 years or younger, n=115; group B: 65-74 years, n=144; and group C: 75 years or older, n=81.

Group C had a significantly higher 60-day mortality of 6.3% (p=0.04), the lowest 5-year overall survival rate of 9.9% (p=0.02), and there was no impact of staging of the Union for International Cancer Control classification on overall survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. Independent prognostic factors of group C in the multivariate analysis were pancreatic cancer and reoperation.

For elderly patients aged 75 years or over, caution should be exercised in selecting PD for patients with pancreatic cancer.