[Total gastrectomy in patients over 70 years old. Postoperative complications and prognosis]

In the cases of gastric cancer in patients over 70 years old we were not able to find a noticeable difference of survival time between the cases of palliative total gastrectomy and those where no resection or no operation was undertaken. From these results and the high frequency of complications after total gastrectomy in patients over 70 years old, we cannot see the therapeutic significance of palliative total gastrectomy. On the other hand the results of postoperative examinations in the cases without cancer recurrence were favorable, and they live a relatively comfortable life for their age. If the preoperative risk of patients can be judged exactly and if cure can be expected, total gastrectomy must be considered even in the patients over 70 years old.