Laparoscopic Surgery Is Acceptable for Elderly Patients With Colorectal Cancer: A Propensity Score-matched Study

The study was performed to examine the suitability of laparoscopic surgery for elderly patients with colorectal cancer.

The subjects were 242 patients aged ≥80 years who underwent primary tumor resection of colorectal cancer using laparoscopic assisted colectomy (LAC, n=145) or open colectomy (OC, n=97). Propensity score matching used to balance the characteristics of the groups resulted in 76 patients being assigned to each group.

Before matching, Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA-PS), and previous abdominal surgery differed significantly between the groups (p<0.05), but after matching, all covariates were balanced (p≥0.05). Short-term outcomes were better after LAC (p<0.05), including fewer postoperative complications and less delirium. Regarding long-term outcomes, 5-year overall survival did not differ significantly between the groups (p=0.91).

In elderly patients with colorectal cancer, short-term results are better after LAC than OC and long-term results are similar. These findings indicate that LAC is acceptable in this patient population.