Abstract

Background Elderly patients over 80 years of age represent a growing population, some of whom have complex medical problems that are compounded by the presence of upper aerodigestive tract cancer. Methods Forty-three patients, aged 80 years and older, who were initially seen with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma from 1986 to 1992 at a tertiary-care center were compared with 79 similar patients, aged 65 years or younger, in a retrospective, case-control study. Results Median overall survival for the patients over 80 years of age was significantly lower than that for the controls (p = .001). However, their overall survival was similar to the actuarial survival for the general octogenarian population. Advanced age also adversely affected local control (p < .001) and disease-specific survival (p = .041). Although the older age group had a higher frequency of morbid preoperative conditions, there were no significant differences in perioperative or postoperative complications between the two groups. Conclusions Careful preoperative staging and evaluation of associated medical illnesses, as well as skillful perioperative and postoperative management, are essential for reducing operative morbidity and mortality in the octogenarian patient. Successful outcome depends upon appropriate surgical management, treatment of concurrent illnesses, and minimization of postoperative complications. Individualized surgical management of the elderly head and neck cancer patient is effective, well tolerated, and clinically indicated for upper aerodigestive tract malignancies. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 20:216–223, 1998.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.