Elderly and very elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Strategy for a first line treatment

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Stefania Brozzetti
Mario Bezzi
Giuseppe Maria De Sanctis
Gian Marco Andreoli
Monica De Angelis
Michelangelo Miccini
Francesca Galati
Valentina Panetta
Caterina Furlan
Domenico De Santis
Giorgio De Toma
Adriano Tocchi

Abstract

AIM: Health-status of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may limit surgical approach; other options are thus auspicable.


METHODS: The authors reviewed 98 selected patients, aged 65 to 90 years, with 149 HCC treated between 2002 and 2011. According to the extent of malignancy, health status and treatment, patients were divided into 3 groups. Sixty-one, submitted to major and minor curative resections, were in group A and B while group C included 37 patients, unsuitable for high-risk procedures and percutaneous ablation, submitted to intraoperative-radiofrequency ablation (IRFA) alone or combined with minor resections. Assessment of safety and therapeutic efficacy of this managment was evaluated.


RESULTS: A postoperative mortality rate of 1,02% and an overall survival rate at 5 years of 62.3% were observed. Indeeed matched post-operative morbidity and mortality rates of A, B, C groups were 45%, 8%, 16.21% (p < 0.004) and 9 %, 0%, 0% (p= 0.112 ) respectively. 3 years overall-survival was not statistically different (p= 0.585). However 5 years survival rate and disease-free-survival rate were significantly higher in patients of group A and B (p= 0.003; p< 0.001).


CONCLUSION: Treatment strategies to minimize treatment-related morbidity and mortality have resulted satisfactory for early and late outcomes of an heterogeneous group of elderly patients with HCC.

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How to Cite
Brozzetti, Stefania, et al. “Elderly and Very Elderly Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Strategy for a First Line Treatment”. Annali Italiani Di Chirurgia, vol. 85, no. 2, Mar. 2014, pp. 120-8, https://annaliitalianidichirurgia.it/index.php/aic/article/view/1398.
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