Feasibility of esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in elderly patients: a case–control study

Purpose Surgery in elderly patients with esophageal cancer is challenging due to high mortality and limited survival. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of curative esophagectomy in elderly patients with esophageal cancer. Methods This study included 77 and 112 patients with esophageal cancer aged ≥ 70 and 40–64 years, respectively, who underwent R0 esophagectomy between January 1998 and December 2016. Patient characteristics, intraoperative outcomes, postoperative complications, and long-term survival were compared. Results The proportions of comorbid diseases (85.7% vs. 57.1%; P