대한대장항문학회

Purpose: Elderly patients of colorectal cancer compose a steadily expanding portion of the<br>population in Korea. The decision whether or not to operate on elderly patients who have<br>carcinoma of colon and rectum is often unduly complicated. The aim of this study is to<br>evaluate the results of the operations for colorectal cancers in the elderly.<br>Methods: This report is a retrospective clinical analysis for 365 cases of colorectal cancer<br>who were treated surgically at the Department of surgery, Chonbuk National University<br>Medical School from January 1994 to December 1998. To evaluate the age factor in colorectal<br>cancer, the patients were divided into two groups: The elderly group included 79 patients who<br>were aged ≥70 years on first presentation; The control group comprised 286 patients aged<br>＜70.<br>Results: There is no significant difference between the two group with regard to the mode<br>of presentation, gender, location of tumor, clinical symptom and sign, duration of symptom,<br>coexistent disease, operation method, tumor size, histopathologic findings, the Astler-Coller<br>classification, lymphatic and distant metastasis, perioperative complication and 5-year<br>survival. The emergency operation is significantly higher incidence in the elderly group.<br>Conclusions: It is concluded that surgical resection of colorectal cancer in elderly is standard<br>method and should not be restricted on the basis of age alone.<br>