Is surgery the best treatment for elderly gastric cancer patients?

As the elderly population increases, the number of patients with gastric cancer has also been increasing. Elderly people have various preoperative problems such as malnutrition, high frequency of comorbidities, decreased performance status, and dementia. Furthermore, when surgery is performed, high postoperative complication rates and death from other diseases are also concerns. The goal of surgery in the elderly is that short-term outcomes are comparable to those in nonelderly, and long-term outcomes reach life expectancy. Perioperative problems in the elderly include: (1) Poor perioperative nutritional status; (2) Postoperative pneumonia; and (3) Psychological problems (dementia and postoperative delirium). Malnutrition in the elderly has been reported to be associated with increased postoperative complications and dementia, pointing out the importance of nutritional management. In addition, multidisciplinary team efforts, including perioperative respiratory rehabilitation, preoperative oral care, and early postoperative mobilization programs, are effective in preventing postoperative pneumonia. Furthermore, there are many reports on the usefulness of laparoscopic surgery for the elderly, and we considered that minimally invasive surgery would be the optimal treatment after assessing preoperative risk.