Abstract
PURPOSE: Colorectal carcinoma in elderly patients has become a more common problem in the last decade. There are some physicians who tend to offer a less definitive treatment for these patients because of their chronologic age. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term survival of elderly patients (>70) who underwent surgery for colorectal carcinoma in comparison with a younger group of patients with the same disease. METHODS: Long-term survival of patients with colorectal carcinoma who underwent surgery was prospectively evaluated. Long-term survival was compared between an elderly group of patients (age, >70) and a younger group of patients. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the five-year survival between the two age groups. Patients' survival was influenced by stage of the disease and type of operation (emergency vs. elective). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment decisions in elderly patients with colorectal carcinoma should not be influenced by the chronologic age of the patient.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 523-529 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Diseases of the Colon and Rectum |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 1997 |
Keywords
- Colorectal cancer
- Colorectal surgery
- Elderly patients
- Survival
