Emergency treatment of complicated colorectal cancer in the elderly. Should the surgical procedure be influenced by the factor 'age'?

The complication rate in patients affected by colorectal cancer (CRC) is high and the prognosis especially in the elderly patients is poor. The aim of this retrospective study is to compare the complicated CRC outcome between elderly patients and a group of patients younger than 70 years old, treated at the same time period. Between 1997 and 2007, 24 patients older than 70 years old with CRC (Group A), in an emergency situation, were operated on by the same team of surgeons. During the same time period, 20 patients, aged less than 70 years (Group B), with similar clinical and surgical findings, were operated on. All patients had undergone emergency procedures for occlusion, perforation and haemorrhage. We compared both groups in terms of preoperative health status, morbidity and mortality rates. According to ASA classification, Group A was considered of greater intraoperative danger (P = 0.01). Despite the fact that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups, patients aged > 70 years presented higher morbidity and mortality rates. This fact is probably due to their overall health status. The surgical approach of patients with complicated CRC should not be influenced by the patient's age.