Safety of Surgical Treatment for Elderly Patients with Gallbladder Carcinoma

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is a common malignancy with a poor prognosis. With the average life expectancy increasing globally, the incidence of GBC is predicted to increase as well. We investigated the safety and feasibility of surgical treatment for elderly patients with GBC. We retrospectively compared clinical pathological data and treatment outcomes in 45 consecutive GBC patients (23 patients ≥ 75 years [elderly group] and 22 patients < 75 years [younger group]) who underwent curative resection at the Iwakuni Center from January 2008 to December 2017. The proportion of preoperative comorbidities and anticoagulant use was significantly higher in the elderly group. The American Society of Anesthesiologists score was higher in the elderly versus the younger group, and the elderly group had significantly shorter operation times. Reduced activities of daily living was more common in the elderly versus younger group. The percentage of radical resection and overall 3-year survival (66.6% younger vs. 64.4% elderly) were similar between the groups. Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score ≥ 3 and R0 resection were identified as prognostic factors for overall survival rate among all patients. After careful patient selection.