Postoperative Complications and Survival after Gastric Cancer Surgery in Patients Older than 80 Years of Age

This study sought to identify and evaluate the risk factors of postoperative complications, prognostic factors, and appropriate surgical strategies in elderly patients undergoing surgery for gastric cancer. The medical records of 396 radical gastrectomies conducted from January 2006 to December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical results and survival rates were assessed for 60 elderly patients (aged a parts per thousand yenaEuro parts per thousand 80 years) and 336 non-elderly patients (aged < 80 years). The study groups were compared with respect to clinicopathological findings, surgical outcomes, and survival. Elderly patients underwent gastrectomies with shorter operation time, showed less extensive lymphadenectomy, and had a significant difference in overall survival compared with non-elderly patients, although there was no difference in cause-specific survival among patients receiving curative resection. No significant risk factors affecting postoperative complications were identified in the elderly patients. Number of comorbidities (a parts per thousand yen2) (HR, 5.30; 95 % CI, 1.11-25.32; P = 0.037) and TNM stage (a parts per thousand yenII) (HR, 12.97; 95 % CI, 1.60-105.38; P = 0.017) were identified as independent prognostic factors in the elderly patients receiving curative resection. Age is not an independent prognostic factor for patients receiving curative resection for gastric cancer. Multiple comorbidities may also influence the prognosis of elderly patients. Careful follow-up would improve overall survival for elderly patients.