Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of Chinese colorectal cancer (CRC) patients aged 75 years and older undergoing potentially curative surgery.
Methods: A total of 2,482 CRC patients at TNM stage I-III undergoing surgical treatment between 1995 and 2005 were evaluated, and patients were divided into a younger (<75 years old) and an elderly (≥75 years) group.
Results: There were 2,482 CRC patients in this study, of which 2,194 (88.4 %) patients were in the younger group (mean age 57 years) and 288 (11.6 %) were in the elderly group (mean age 79 years). Significant differences were observed between the two groups with regard to the American Society of Anesthesiologists' score, tumor location, co-morbidities, emergency procedures, use of chemotherapy, proportion admitted to the ICU, length of ICU stay, causes of death, T/N stage and postoperative recurrence. The postoperative mortality increased from 4.8 % in the younger group to 8.3 % in the older group (p = 0.011). Although significant differences were found in the overall 5-year survival (73 vs. 56 %, p < 0.0001) and disease-free 5-year survival (68 vs. 54 %, p < 0.0001) between the two groups, the cancer-specific 5-year survival was similar (88 vs. 85 %, p = 0.089) in both groups.
Conclusions: Although elderly CRC patients have unique clinicopathological features, a higher postoperative mortality and a worse overall and disease-free survival compared with younger patients, the cancer-specific survival at five years is similar between elderly and younger patients. Elderly patients benefit from radical surgery and have a good postoperative oncological outcome, irrespective of their age.