Gastric Cancer
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 7, 2005; 11(33): 5123-5128
Published online Sep 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i33.5123
Adenocarcinoma of gastric cardia in the elderly: Surgical problems and prognostic factors
Natale Di Martino, Giuseppe Izzo, Angelo Cosenza, Guido Cerullo, Francesco Torelli, Antonio Brillantino, Alberto del Genio
Natale Di Martino, Giuseppe Izzo, Angelo Cosenza, Francesco Torelli, Antonio Brillantino, VIII Service of General Surgery and Gastroenterological Physiopathology, Second University of Study of Naples, Italy
Guido Cerullo, Department of General Surgery and Surgical Oncology, UO Surgical Oncology, University of Siena, Italy
Alberto del Genio, I Division of General and Gastroenterological Surgery, Second University of Study of Naples, Italy
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Second University of Study of Naples
Correspondence to: Professor Natale Di Martino, c/o VIII Servizio di Chirurgia Generale e Fisiopatologia Gastroenterologica, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Piazza Miraglia, 2-80135, Napoli, Italy. natale.dimartino@unina2.it
Telephone: +39-81-5665055 Fax: +39-81-5665055
Received: January 3, 2005
Revised: January 23, 2005
Accepted: January 26, 2005
Published online: September 7, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To analyze retrospectively, our results about patients who underwent surgical treatment for adenocarcinoma of the cardia in relation to age, in order to evaluate surgical problems and prognostic factors.

METHODS: From January 1987 to March 2003, 140 patients with adenocarcinoma of the cardia underwent resection in the authors’ institution. They were divided into three groups with regard to age. Patients <70 and >60 year old (31) were excluded; we also excluded 18 out of 109 patients with poor general status or systemic metastases. So, we compared 51 elderly (≥ 70 year old) and 58 younger patients (≤ 60 year old). The treatment was esophagectomy for type I tumors, and extended gastrectomy and distal esophagectomy for type II and III lesions.

RESULTS: Laparotomy was carried out in 91 patients (83.4%), 38 in the elderly (74.5%) and 53 in younger patients (91.3%, P<0.05). Primary resection was performed in 81 cases (89%) without significant differences between the two groups. Postoperative death was higher in the elderly (12.1%) than the other group (4.1%, P<0.05), while morbidity was similar in both groups. A curative resection (R0) was performed in 59 patients (72.8%), 69.6% in the elderly and 75% in the younger group (P>0.05). The overall 3- and 5-year survival rates were 26.7% and 17.8% respectively for the elderly and 40.7% and 35.1% respectively for younger patients (P = 0.1544). Survival rates were significantly associated with R0 resection, pathological node-positive category and tumor differentiation in both groups.

CONCLUSION: As the age of the general population increases, more elderly patients with gastric cardia cancer will be candidates for surgical resection. Age alone should not preclude surgical treatment in elderly patients with gastric cardia cancer and a tumor resection can be carried out safely. Certainly, we should take care in defining the surgical treatment in elderly patients, particularly as regarding the surgical approach; although the surgical approach does not influence the survival rate, the transhiatal way still remains the best one due, to the lower incidence of respiratory morbidity and thoracic pain.

Keywords: Gastric cardia carcinoma; Esophagogastric junction carcinoma; Elderly; Surgery