Outcomes of Endoscopic Resection for Early Gastric Cancer in Very Elderly Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Few studies have investigated the long-term outcomes of endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer (EGC) in very elderly patients. The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate treatment strategy and identify the risk factors for mortality in these patients. METHODS: Patients with EGC who underwent endoscopic resection from 2006 to 2017 were identified using National Health Insurance Data and divided into three age groups very elderly (≥85 years), elderly (65 to 84 years), and non-elderly (≤64 years). Their long- and short-term outcomes were compared in the three age groups, and the survival in the groups was compared with that in the control group, matched by age and sex. We also evaluated the risk factors for long- and short-term outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 8,426 patients were included in our study 118 very elderly, 4,583 elderly, and 3,725 non-elderly. The overall survival and cancer-specific survival rates were significantly lower in the very elderly group than in the elderly and the non-elderly groups. Congestive heart failure was negatively associated with cancer-specific survival. A significantly decreased risk for mortality was observed in all groups (p<0.001). The very elderly group had significantly higher readmission and mortality rates within 3 months of endoscopic resection than the non-elderly and elderly groups. Furthermore, the cerebrovascular disease was associated with mortality within 3 months after endoscopic resection. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic resection for EGC can be helpful for very elderly patients, and it may play a role in achieving overall survival comparable to that of the control group.