Overall morbidity but not mortality is increased in elderly patients following cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC.

BACKGROUND

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) prolongs survival in selected patients with peritoneal metastases. Since this procedure is likely to be associated with increased morbidity and mortality, it remains controversial whether it is also suitable for patients older than 70 years.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with radiographic evidence of peritoneal metastases (PM) were scheduled for CRS and HIPEC at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, University Hospital Tübingen, Germany. Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed categorizing patients with respect to age into elderly (age ≥ 70) and non-elderly patients (age < 70).

RESULTS

Between June 2005 and March 2014, 381 patients with a median age of 55 [14-77] years could be enrolled with 29 patients (8 %) being at least 70 years old. Both groups were comparable for tumor-related parameters including PCI, CC-status, time in operating room, and visceral resections. However, there was a difference in patient-related factors such as cardio-pulmonary comorbidities and ASA score. We found no difference in overall and recurrence-free survival between the two groups. Surgery-related mortality was 0.9 % in patients younger than 70 years whereas no patient died in the elderly group. Overall morbidity was 47 % in the younger and 76 % in the elderly group (p = 0.048). There was no difference in Clavien-Dindo grade III-IV morbidity. Logistic regression analysis proved age as an independent risk factor for increased overall morbidity in elderly patients.

CONCLUSION

In elderly patients, CRS and HIPEC are associated with increased overall morbidity but neither Dindo III-IV morbidity nor surgery-related mortality.