Laparoscopic resection offers mortality advantage for elderly with CRC
A review shows there's other benefits, including fewer complications compared with open surgery, but no increase in overall survival
Older adults with colorectal cancer have a 30% lower risk of death in the three months following laparoscopic resection than those undergoing open surgery, an analysis shows.
Laparoscopic surgery was also linked to a reduced likelihood of complications including the need for blood transfusion, sepsis and postoperative ileus, Chinese researchers have found.
In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 24 studies, they used data from nearly 18,000 patients aged 65 and over to compare clinical and survival outcomes following laparoscopic versus open surgery for colorectal cancer.
The cohort included some 320 elderly patients from a multicentre Australian and New Zealand study.
