Korean J Med.  2007 Mar;72(3):256-265.

Clinical and pathologic characteristics of gastric cancer in elderly Korean patients in Korea

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. dhljohn@snubh.org
  • 3Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
  • 4Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer in elderly patients is one of the most important health issues in Korea, when considering its incidence and mortality rate. We have obtained the preliminary data concerning the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer in elderly people by analyzing the clinical and pathologic features.
METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed 268 patients who were diagnosed with gastric cancer and who also underwent surgical procedures in Bundang Seoul National University Hospital from May 2003 to May 2005. The patients were divided into two groups: those aged<65 (n=162) and those aged> or =65 (n=106). We compared the clinical and pathological characteristics between the older and younger groups.
RESULTS
The elderly group had more patients with well differentiated carcinoma (11.8% vs. 33.0%, respectively, p=0.001) and the intestinal type (34.0% vs. 59.4%, respectively, p<0.001). The frequency of microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) was higher in the elderly group (5.6% vs. 17%, respectively, p=0.010). There was no significant difference in the postoperative recovery time (p=0.374) and the operation-related complication rate between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS
Gastric cancer in elderly patients demonstrated more pathologic types that have a known favorable outcome when compared to the younger patient group. We should more frequently consider surgery for the elderly patient with operable gastric cancer because of they have similar postoperative recovery compared to the younger patients.

Keyword

Stomach Neoplasms; Aged; Pathology; Microsatellite repeats

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Diagnosis
Humans
Incidence
Korea*
Microsatellite Repeats
Mortality
Pathology
Retrospective Studies
Seoul
Stomach Neoplasms*
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