[Colorectal cancer in elderly patients: postoperative mortality and survival].

Twenty percent of colorectal cancers develop in elderly patients. Since the size of the geriatric population increases this percentage will get higher. The data collected from the Cantabria Colorectal Cancer Population Registry (1989-90) were divided into two groups: patients aged > or = 80 years at diagnosis and patients aged < 80. The postoperative mortality rates were 11% vs. 7%. Emergency surgery on patients over 80 years was associated with a significantly higher incidence of perioperative deaths (26%). Three-year survival rates for the two groups (20%) were not significantly different. These data suggest that elderly patients suffering from colorectal cancer can be treated by standard methods.