[Surgical therapy of pancreatic carcinoma in elderly patients over 70]

Between October 1972 and December 1994, 519 pancreatic resections were performed at the Chirurgische Universitätsklinik Mannheim, 372 for pancreatic carcinoma. Of 328 patients who underwent a partial duodenopancreatectomy for cancer, 45 patients were older than 70 years: only in one case a partial duodenopancreatectomy was performed for chronic pancreatitis. In comparison to all patients the perioperative morbidity increased to 39.1% (21.5% vs. 39.1%). The perioperative mortality of all patients was 1.9%, the mortality of patients older than 70 years was 4.3%. The mean survival time of 28 patients who died subsequently was 30.6 (5-96) months. Despite increased perioperative morbidity and mortality, the patient's age is not considered to be a limiting factor to an attempt at curative resection of pancreatic or periampullary cancer.