The clinical features, management, and survival of elderly patients with colorectal cancer

Background: As the population ages, the number of elderly patients with colorectal cancer is increasing year by year. However, older people have rarely been the focus of studies on colorectal cancer. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to carry out a retrospective analysis of this patient subgroup. Methods: A retrospective study of clinical data of patients aged over 80 years who died from colorectal cancer in our hospital between 1993 and 2020 was performed. Logistic regression, the Kaplan-Meier method, and a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model were used to analyze the overall survival and treatment outcomes of the patients. Results: A total of 87 patients were included in the study. The overall median survival was 45 months. In most patients, the primary lesion was located in the right colon. One-quarter of the patients refused to accept any treatment. Patients with stage IV tumors, who accounted for the largest proportion of the study population, displayed a higher rate of abandoning treatment than did patients of other stages. Almost all patients with stages II and III accepted surgery. Patients who underwent surgery to treat their colorectal cancer had longer survival than those who did not. Conclusions: Old age should not be a reason for giving up treatment for colorectal cancer. The treatment of colorectal cancer patients aged 80 years and above requires individualized evaluation and more aggressive treatment to achieve greater benefits.

Automated summary

In this retrospective study of elderly patients aged over 80 who died from colorectal cancer between 1993 and 2020, it was found that surgery significantly increased survival time and a quarter of patients refused treatment. Individualized evaluation and more aggressive treatment are necessary for colorectal cancer patients aged 80 years and above.