The influence of advanced age on the morbi-mortality of gastric cancer after curative surgery.

INTRODUCTION: gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in Spain after lung, colorectal, breast and prostate tumours. Surgery remains the only potentially curative treatment in localized gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: the aim of our study is to evaluate and compare the clinical and surgical aspects, development of postoperative complications and outcomes of patients over 75 years old compared with younger patients in our centre.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: comparative retrospective study, from March 2003 to June 2011. We diagnosed 166 cases of GC, 109 (65 %) underwent curative surgery. Two groups were settled: group M: < or = 75 years (41 patients) and group m: < 75 years (68 patients). We analyzed age, sex, comorbidities, tumour location, clinical stage, perioperative chemotherapy, surgical technique, postoperative complications, recurrence and mortality from cancer.

RESULTS: a more frequent presence of cardiovascular comorbidities and a greater postoperative mortality by medical causes were the only significant differences between both groups. Also, a lower proportion of patients in group M received preoperative chemotherapy and underwent D1 lymphadenectomy. However, the rate of local and systemic recurrence and overall survival were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS: age should not be considered a contraindication for curative surgery on GC. The general condition and comorbidities are more important to contraindicate surgical treatment.