J Korean Med Sci.  2014 Dec;29(12):1639-1645. 10.3346/jkms.2014.29.12.1639.

Clinicopathological Features and Surgical Safety of Gastric Cancer in Elderly Patients

• Lim JH
• Lee DH
• Shin CM
• Kim N
• Park YS
• Jung HC
• Song IS

• KMID: 2069952
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2014.29.12.1639

Abstract

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers, especially among the elderly. However little is known about gastric cancer in elderly patients. This study was designed to evaluate the specific features of gastric cancer in elderly patients. Medical records of 1,107 patients who had radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer between June 2005 and December 2009 were reviewed. They were divided into young (<65 yr, n=676), young-old (65-74 yr, n=332), and old-old age group (> or =75 yr, n=99). Increased CA 19-9 (5.6%, 13.4%, 14.6%, P=0.001), advanced diseases (42.5%, 47.0%, and 57.6, P=0.014), and node metastasis (37.6%, 38.9%, 51.5%, P=0.029) were more common in the young-old and old-old age groups. There were no significant differences in Helicobacter pylori status (63.6%, 56.7%, 61.2%, P=0.324) between the three groups. Surgery-related complication rates were similar in the three groups (5.3%, 5.1%, 8.1%, P=0.497). Microsatellite instability (P<0.001) and p53 overexpression (P<0.001) were more common among the elderly. The elderly group had more synchronous tumors (7.5%, 10.2%, 17.2%; P=0.006). Surgery can be applied to elderly gastric cancer without significant risk of complications. However, considering the more advanced disease and synchronous tumors among the elderly, care should be taken while deciding the extent of surgery for elderly gastric cancer.

Keyword

Aged; Stomach Neoplasms; Pathology; Safety

MeSH Terms

Adult
Age Distribution
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Causality
Comorbidity
Female
Gastrectomy/*statistics & numerical data
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Patient Safety
Postoperative Complications/*epidemiology
Prevalence
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Risk Factors
Sex Distribution
Stomach Neoplasms/*epidemiology/*surgery
Treatment Outcome

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 A flow chart showing the inclusion/exclusion of the patients.

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