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Age Alone Shouldn't Stop Life-Extending Surgery for Some Colorectal Cancer Patients

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Survival and morbidity in elderly patients treated with cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC for colorectal peritoneal metastases a population-based study. DOI 10.108002656736.2026.2620731

For patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to the belly (peritoneal metastases), a combination of major surgery and heated chemotherapy—called CRS-HIPEC—can offer longer survival. But for older patients, especially those over 75, many wonder if the treatment is too risky.

This study looked at real-world data from Sweden on 592 people who had CRS-HIPEC between 2004 and 2021. Of these, 39 patients were 75 or older.

The good news? Older patients did just as well as younger ones. Their survival rates were similar, and they didn’t face higher risks of serious problems after surgery. In fact, the rate of serious complications was slightly lower in the older group (21% vs. 27%), and no one over 75 died in the hospital after surgery.

What did matter more than age was how far the cancer had spread and whether the surgeons were able to remove all visible cancer. These factors had a bigger impact on survival than the patient’s age.

This study sends a clear message: age by itself should not be a reason to rule out CRS-HIPEC. For healthy older adults, especially those carefully chosen by their medical team, the benefits can be just as meaningful as for younger patients.

 

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Dr Harsh Shah - GI & HPB Oncosurgeon in Ahmeadbad
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