Optimal Assessment of Frailty Predicts Postoperative Complications in Older Patients with Colorectal Cancer Surgery

Objectives The increasingly elderly worldwide population has affected the incidence of colorectal cancer. Establishment of reliable assessment of frailty and proposals for multi-disciplinary interventions are urgently required in oncology practices. Kihon Checklist (KCL) was published by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare originally to identify individuals >= 65 years old at probable risk for requiring care or social support. We investigate the validity of KCL for frailty assessment to predict postoperative complication in older patients with colorectal cancer. Methods Consecutive colorectal cancer patients aged >= 65 (n = 500) were prospectively examined between May 2017 and December 2018. Preoperative frailty assessment was conducted by the G8 questionnaire and KCL. The main outcome measures were correlation between frailty, other clinical variables, and postoperative complications within 30 days after elective surgery. Results Of the 500 patients, 278 (55.6%) and 164 (32.8%) patients were classified as 'frail' by G8 and KCL, respectively. Overall complications counted among 97 patients (19.4%), and they were significantly associated with KCL >= 8-frail (46/164, p = 0.001), as opposed to G8 <= 14-frail (56/278, p = 0.531). Multivariate analysis showed that KCL >= 8 (hazard ratio 1.88, 95% confidence interval 1.16-3.04, p = 0.011) was an independent risk factor for these complications. Conclusions KCL assessment can identify frail older patients likely to suffer from postoperative complications after colorectal cancer surgery. Preoperative screening of frailty, particularly by KCL, would help older patients prevent their worse outcomes in colorectal cancer.

Automated summary

The study showed that using the Kihon Checklist (KCL) to assess frailty can predict postoperative complications in older patients with colorectal cancer, helping them avoid worse outcomes.