Abstract
Aim: This study investigated the effects of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative outcomes in elderly patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Methods: The background and perioperative factors of patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 2007 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.
Results: Regarding background factors, patients aged 75 or over were significantly associated with hypertension, upfront surgery, and lower prognostic nutritional index. In addition, these patients had a significantly lower rate of portal vein resection, less blood loss, and shorter operation time than patients aged ＜ 75. During the postoperative course, they had a higher rate of pneumonia and lower overall survival than younger patients, although recurrence‐free survival was comparable. In the patients aged 75 or over, preoperative malnutrition was demonstrated to be a risk factor for postoperative in‐hospital death.
Conclusions: Surgical treatment for pancreatic cancer in patients aged 75 or over was performed safely. However, preoperative malnutrition is a risk factor for in‐hospital death and such patients require nutritional support and less‐invasive surgery.
