Limited lymph node dissection in elderly patients with gastric cancer

Background : The number of elderly patients with gastric cancer is continuing to increase along with the life expectancy of the general population. The purpose of this study was to investigate both the impact of age on postoperative outcome and the effect of limited lymph node dissection for elderly patients. Methods : Patients were classified into the following three groups : Group A, ≥80 years old (n=44) ; Group B, 70-80 years old (n=139) ; Group C, <70 years old (n=219). Postoperative complication and survival rates were compared between the three groups Results : Limited lymph node dissection was performed significantly more frequently in Group A. In terms of surgery-related complications, no significant difference was seen between groups. In terms of general related complications, the complication rate increased with age, from 4% in Group C to 13% in Group B and 14% in Group A (p<0.05 each). Although limited lymph node dissection was frequently performed in Group A, cancer-specific survival showed no significant difference in R0 patients. Conclusions : Limited lymph node dissection for gastric cancer did not affect the cancer-specific survival in elderly patients.