The Short- and Long-term Outcomes of Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer in Patients Older than 75 Years.

BACKGROUND

The short- and long-term outcomes of esophagectomy for esophageal cancer were fully evaluated in patients older than 75 years of age.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The present study selected patients who received esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Patients were divided into non-elderly patients [age <75 years (non-elderly group)] and elderly patients [age ≥75 years (elderly group)]. The postoperative surgical morbidity, postoperative 30-days mortality, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were evaluated between the non-elderly group and elderly group.

RESULTS

One hundred twenty-two patients were evaluated in this study. Ninety-eight patients and 24 patients were classified into the non-elderly group and elderly group, respectively. The postoperative surgical complication rates in the non-elderly and elderly groups were 71.4% and 75.0%. There was not a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p=0.710). Mortality was observed in 1 patient in the elderly group (4.2%) due to cardiovascular disease. Significant differences were observed in the five-year OS and RFS rates of the elderly and non-elderly groups (55.4% vs. 29.7%, p=0.0017 and 42.2% vs. 21.2%, p=0.0334, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Although the rate of postoperative surgical complications after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer was almost equal in the elderly and the non-elderly patients, significant differences were observed in the mortality and long-term outcomes of the two groups. Thus, the surgical strategy and perioperative care must be carefully planned for esophageal cancer patients older than 75 years of age.