A Study of Operative Gastric Cancers in Patients of Advanced Age of More Than 80

Abstract

Thirty-one operative cases of gastric cancer in aged patients over 80 years were subjected to a study of their features, therapeutic results, preoperative laboratory findings and postoperative complications. 1) Differentiated advanced cancers were predominant in region A, and the resection rate was 90.3%, and curative resection rate, 64.3%. 2) The 5-year survival rates were 59.3% in curative resection group and 0% in non-curative resection group. 3) In patient groups in which preoperative laboratory findings included many abnormal items and other organs were combinedly resected, postoperative complications developed in higher frequencies. Abnormal preoperative laboratory findings and postoperative complications were predominantly found in the lung. Moreover, postopera tive mental diseases peculiar to aged people also occurred. For better operative outcomes, the importance of prevention and countermeasures against pulmonary complications and postoperative mental diseases should be emphasized. 4) To prevent postoperative complications and deaths immediately after surgery in aged patients, regional lymph node dissection and appropriate decision of resection area are important.

Gastric Cancer Surgery in the Elderly.

“…Many authors have reported that gastric cancer in elderly patients is frequently located in the distal part of the stomach and is a localized type and a differentiated type, histologically (Tanaka et al 1991). They have also reported that the frequency of total gastrectomies is significantly lower in those patients over 80 years of age (Launois et al 1991).…”

“…It has also been reported that the rate of lymph node metastasis is low in the elderly. On the other hand, Tanaka et al (1991) reported that the lymph node metastasis rate was high, occurring in 79% of the elderly with gastric cancer.…”