Management of biliary tract cancers in elderly patients: a French multicenter retrospective study (PRONOBIL-ACABi)

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are often diagnosed after the age of 70, when comorbidities and compromised performance status (PS) are more prevalent.

This study compared clinical and disease characteristics and outcomes in BTC patients aged ⩽70 and >70 years.

PRONOBIL-ACABI is a cohort study including 1256 BTC patients treated across 16 French centers from January 2003 to June 2021. We analyzed demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, molecular profiles, overall survival (OS) as the primary endpoint, and progression-free survival (PFS).

Among the 1256 BTC patients (53% male; median age: 64.5), 31% were aged >70. Patients >70 exhibited poorer PS (PS ⩾2, 17% vs 8%; p < 0.0001), a higher rate of comorbidities (⩾1, 89% vs 78%; p < 0.0001), and were less often proposed a molecular profile (43% vs 65%; p < 0.0001) than those ⩽70. Patients with unresectable BTC aged >70 had significantly shorter OS compared to younger patients (median OS: 14.6 vs 17.4 months, p < 0.0001), despite similar PFS (median PFS: 6.6 vs 5.8 months, p = 0.61). They were also less likely to receive first-line chemotherapy (87% vs 97%, p < 0.0001). In resected BTC, survival outcomes were comparable across age groups, with a median OS of 47.0 months in patients >70 vs 48.8 months in those ⩽70.

Patients aged >70 years with unresectable BTC had a significantly shorter OS compared to those aged ⩽70, despite similar first-line PFS. In resected BTC, elderly patients achieved OS and PFS outcomes comparable to those aged ⩽70.