[Surgery for stomach cancer in patients over 70]

Among a total of 1038 operations for early and advanced gastric cancer, 257 patients were older than 70 years. The resection rate in this group was 64.2%, 95 subtotal and 70 total gastrectomies were performed. Postoperative complications were caused primarily by concomitant respiratory and cardiac diseases, whereas the overall operative mortality amounted to 16.9%. Depending on the stage of tumour development a 5-year survival rate of 17.7% could be obtained. This rate increased to 27.2% after subtotal or total gastrectomies. The choice of surgical procedures for gastric cancer does not show any principal differences between young and old persons; thus, the use of individual and liberal criteria for total gastrectomy can be justified even in the aged.