Treating renal cell cancer in the elderly

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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether age and comorbidity are predictors of peri-operative complications and/or mortality in surgery for renal cell cancer in a retrospective study of patients aged >75 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 1993 and 2003, 1023 radical nephrectomies or nephron-sparing surgery for renal cell cancer were performed in 115 consecutive patients aged ≥ 75 years and in 908 consecutive patients aged P = 0.29). Overall morbidity and mortality correlated with increasing ASA score but not with age (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Despite greater comorbidity in older patients, their morbidity and mortality did not differ significantly from that of younger patients. Advanced age alone should thus not be used as a criterion to deny surgery for renal cell carcinoma. However, older patients should be counselled regarding a tendency for increased comorbidity-related peri-operative mortality.