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After completing this course, the reader will be able to:1. Use patient age as only one consideration, along with tumor status and comorbidities, in deciding on treatment strategies for elderly colorectal cancer patients.2. Obtain and apply information regarding the medical, functional, mental, and social status of colorectal cancer elderly patients in order to make appropriate therapeutic decisions.This article is available for continuing medical education credit at CME.TheOncologist.com. CME CME ABSTRACTPurpose. To analyze differences in the therapeutic approach to and tumor-related mortality of young and elderly colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Patients and Methods. This was a descriptive study of a retrospective cohort, based on administrative databases, of all patients with CRC diagnosed or treated in our institution. We extracted data on sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidity, type of cancer, type of treatment received, survival time, and cause of death. We compared differences between a young group (YG) (age <75 years) and an older group (OG) (age >75 years) and assessed the variables associated with receiving different therapeutic options (multivariate analysis) and with survival time (Cox proportional hazards models).Results. The study included 503 patients (YG, 320; OG, 183), with mean ages of 63.1 years in the YG and 81.8 years in the OG. No differences were observed between the groups in degree of differentiation, extension, tumor stage, or comorbidity. After adjustment for gender, comorbidity, and tumor localization and extension, YG patients were more likely than OG patients to receive surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and less likely to receive palliative care. After a median follow-up of 36.5 months, YG patients had a longer tumor-specific survival time than OG patients (36.41 months vs 26.05 months). After further adjustment, the YG had a lower tumor-specific mortality risk (hazard ratio, 0.66) than the OG.Conclusion. In comparison with younger patients, elderly CRC patients are undertreated, mainly because of their age and not because of their tumor type or comorbidity. Elderly patients have a significantly shorter tumor-specific survival time, partially because of this undertreatment.

estimate of the association in each city by means of the construction of generalized additive Poisson regression models and metanalysis for obtaining combined estimators. The EMECAS Project began with the creation of three working groups (Exposure, Epidemiology and Analysis Methodology) which defined the protocol. The average levels of pollutants were below those established under the current regulations for sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone. The NO2 and PM10 values were around those established under the regulations (40 mg/m3). This is the first study of the relationship between air pollution and disease rate among one group of Spanish cities. The pollution levels studied are moderate for some pollutants, although for others, especially NO2 and particles, these levels could entail a problem with regard to complying with the regulations in force.

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The description of the temporary IOL opacification phenomenon due to condensation could be useful to cataract surgeons, who might avoid cold storage of IOLs. The known self-resolution of this type of IOL opacification makes advisable to delay IOL surgical explantation in these cases.