Outcome of pancreatic resection in elderly patients

Clinical background The increasing aging of the Western population is obviously accomplished by an increasing number of older patients with cancer, including pancreatic cancer. Since surgical resection remains the treatment of choice for pancreatic and periampullary neoplasms, increasing number of elderly patients are being referred for pancreatic resection. Recently, some surgical experiences reported an acceptable morbidity rate and outcome in patients with advanced age. This retrospective study analyzes the effects of age on short-term and long-term outcome in a large series of patients who underwent resection for pancreatic or periampullary disease.