The safety and prognosis of radical surgery in colorectal cancer patients over 80 years old

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and feasibility of radical surgery and to investigate prognostic factors influencing in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients over the age of 80. METHODS: Between January 2010 and December 2020, 372 elderly CRC patients who underwent curative resection at the National Cancer Center were enrolled in the study. Preoperative clinical characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and postoperative pathological features were all collected. RESULTS: A total of 372 elderly patients with colorectal cancer were included in the study, including 226 (60.8%) men and 146 (39.2%) women. A total of 219 (58.9%) patients had a BMI < 24 kg/m(2), and 153 (41.1%) patients had a BMI ≥ 24 kg/m(2). The mean operation time and intraoperative blood loss were 152.3 ± 58.1 min and 67.6 ± 35.4 ml, respectively. The incidence of overall postoperative complications was 28.2% (105/372), and the incidence of grade 3–4 complications was 14.7% (55/372). In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, BMI ≥ 24 kg/m(2) (HR, 2.30, 95% CI, 1.27–4.17; P = 0.006) and N1-N2 stage (HR: 2.97; 95% CI, 1.48–5.97; P = 0.002) correlated with worse CSS. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study showed that radical resection for CRC is safe and feasible for patients over the age of 80. After radical resection, BMI and N stage were independent prognostic factors for elderly CRC patients.