Comparison of surgical outcomes of gastric cancer in elderly and middle-aged patients

Background We compared clinicopathological features and results of surgery for gastric carcinoma in elderly and middle-aged patients to develop appropriate treatment for elderly patients with gastric carcinoma. Methods Surgical results were assessed for 135 elderly patients (over 75 years old) and 665 middle-aged patients (between 45 and 65 years old) with gastric cancer. Results Distinct characteristics of elderly patients were male predominance; macroscopically well, or ill-defined, histologically differentiated tumors; and advanced stage disease. There was a significant difference in overall survival between the groups for early stage carcinomas but no difference in cause-specific survival. Postoperative morbidities did not differ between the curatively resected patients in the 2 groups. Moreover, deaths from other cancers or comorbid disease were frequent among the elderly. Conclusion Meticulous treatment and follow-up not only for gastric carcinoma but also for other diseases would improve survival in elderly patients, particularly those with early-stage tumors.