Laparoscopy for sigmoid colon and rectal cancers in septuagenarians: a retrospective, comparative study

Background The aim of the study is to analyze the results of laparoscopy in septuagenarians with sigmoid colon or rectal cancer. Methods Patients who underwent laparoscopic or hand-assisted laparoscopic sigmoid or rectal resections for cancer were retrospectively selected from the database of our institution. The study group (Lap > 70 group), contained the cancer patients over 70 years old who were treated with laparoscopy. Patients less than 70 years old who underwent a laparoscopic procedure (Lap 70 group), were assigned to control groups. Demographics, information regarding tumors, perioperative data, pathological results, and survival in the three groups were compared. Results There were 56, 166, and 34 patients in the Lap > 70, Lap 70 groups, respectively. Patients in the Lap > 70 group were significantly older than other groups. The American Society of Anesthesiologists scores were higher, and the presence of the studied risk factors was more common in the Lap > 70 group than the Lap 70 group than in the Open > 70 group. The number of harvested lymph nodes was less in the Lap > 70 group than both study groups. Five-year survival in the Lap > 70 group was similar to that in the Lap 70 group. Conclusions Laparoscopy for sigmoid colon and rectal cancer in patients over 70 may be feasible and safe as it is in younger patients. The present study has revealed that laparoscopy in the elderly may be superior to conventional techniques as regards some intraoperative findings and survival.