PLoS ONE (Jan 2020)

Surgical and regional treatments for colorectal cancer metastases in older patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

  • Nicola de'Angelis,
  • Capucine Baldini,
  • Raffaele Brustia,
  • Patrick Pessaux,
  • Daniele Sommacale,
  • Alexis Laurent,
  • Bertrand Le Roy,
  • Vania Tacher,
  • Hicham Kobeiter,
  • Alain Luciani,
  • Elena Paillaud,
  • Thomas Aparicio,
  • Florence Canuï-Poitrine,
  • Evelyne Liuu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230914
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 4
p. e0230914

Abstract

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ObjectiveThe present study explored the existing literature to describe the outcomes of surgical and regional treatments for colorectal cancer metastases (mCRC) in older patients.MethodsA literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane and ClinicalTrials.gov for studies published since 2000 that investigated the short- and long-term outcomes of regional treatments (surgical or non-surgical) for mCRC in patients aged ≥65 years. Pooled data analyses were conducted by calculating the risk ratio (RR), mean differences (MD) and hazard ratio (HR) between older and younger patients or between two different approaches in older patients.ResultsAfter screening 266 articles, 29 were included in this review. These studies reported the outcomes of surgery (n = 19) and non-surgical local ablation treatments (n = 3) for CRC metastases in older vs. younger patients or compared the outcomes of different interventions in older patients (n = 7). When comparing older vs. younger patients undergoing liver surgery for mCRC, pooled data analysis showed higher postoperative mortality [RR = 2.53 (95%CI: 2.00-3.21)] and shorter overall survival [HR = 1.17 (95%CI: 1.07-1.18)] in older patients, whereas no differences in operative outcomes, postoperative complications and disease-free survival were found. When comparing laparoscopy vs. open surgery for liver resection in older mCRC patients, laparoscopy was associated with fewer postoperative complications [RR = 0.27 (95%CI: 0.10-0.73)].ConclusionLiver resection for mCRC should not be disregarded a priori in older patients, who show similar operative and postoperative outcomes as younger patients. However, clinicians should consider that they are at increased risk of postoperative mortality and have a worse overall survival, which may reflect comorbidities and frailty.