Impact of Patient Age on Postoperative Short-Term and Long-Term Outcome after Pancreatic Resection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
by
, , , ,
Danilo Hackner
1,2
,
Mirianna Hobbs
1,
Susanne Merkel
1
,
Timo Siepmann
2,3, 
Christian Krautz
1,
Georg F. Weber
1,
Robert Grützmann
1 and
Maximilian Brunner
1,* 1
Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
2
Division of Health Care Sciences, Dresden International University, 01067 Dresden, Germany
3
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Cancers 2022, 14(16), 3929; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14163929
Submission received: 14 July 2022
/
Revised: 4 August 2022
/
Accepted: 9 August 2022
/
Published: 15 August 2022
Simple Summary
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is frequently seen in elderly patients. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the impact of age on postoperative short-term and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing curative pancreatic resection for PDAC. Our data confirm that pancreatic resections can be performed with equal short-term outcomes even in older age. However, patient age significantly influenced the overall and disease-free survival of patients with PDAC undergoing primary resection in curative intent. Therefore, the choice of the optimal therapy concept for each patient should be individualized taking into account the patient’s age.
Abstract
(1) Purpose: to evaluate the impact of age on postoperative short-term and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing curative pancreatic resection for PDAC. (2) Methods: This retrospective single-center study comprised 213 patients who had undergone primary resection of PDAC from January 2000 to December 2018 at the University Hospital of Erlangen, Germany. Patients were stratified according the age into two groups: younger (≤70 years) and older (>70 years) patients. Postoperative outcome and long-term survival were compared between the groups. (3) Results: There were no significant differences regarding inhospital morbidity (58% vs. 67%, p = 0.255) or inhospital mortality (2% vs. 7%, p = 0.073) between the two groups. The median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were significantly shorter in elderly patients (OS: 29.2 vs. 17.1 months, p < 0.001, respectively; DFS: 14.9 vs. 10.4 months, p = 0.034). Multivariate analysis revealed that age was a significant independent prognostic predictor for OS and DFS (HR 2.23, 95% CI 1.58–3.15; p < 0.001 for OS and HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.17–2.24; p = 0.004 for DFS). (4) Conclusion: patient age significantly influenced overall and disease-free survival in patients with PDAC undergoing primary resection in curative intent.
