Clinical outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for large colorectal laterally spreading tumors in older adults.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) remains technically challenging, especially for older patients who frequently encounter complex chronic diseases and have a loose colon. However, only limited number of studies are available for the safety of ESD in older patients with especially large laterally spreading tumors. Therefore, in this retrospective study, we compared the outcomes of ESD for laterally spreading tumors (LST) ≥3cm(cm) in older patients to that in younger patients.

METHODS: Consecutive patients with LSTs 3cm or larger were enrolled for from May 2010-2016. These patients were divided into two groups: the younger group (<65years) and the older group (≥65years). The clinicopathologic findings and the outcomes of ESD procedures were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS: A total of 70 patients in the younger group and 73 patients in the older group were treated by ESD for colorectal LSTs larger than 3cm. No significant differences were observed in the gender ratio, tumor morphological type, tumor location, and tumor size between the two groups. The en bloc resection rates were 85.7 and 89.0%, respectively, without a significant difference. The procedural time was similar between the younger and older patients (71.8±34.7min vs. 70.6±29.5min). The duration of hospital stay was not significantly different between the two groups (4.1±2.2days vs. 4.4±2.5days). No significant differences were observed between the two groups with respect to ESD-related complications including delayed bleeding, perforation, and stricture.

CONCLUSIONS: ESD appears to be an effective and safe method for LSTs larger than 3cm in older patients.