COMORBIDITY AND MORBIDITY IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH COLON CANCER

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate the influence of comorbidity (associated diseases) and morbidity on the result of treatment of colon cancer in older patients with emergency manifestation of tumour and in elective operated patients. We performed the retrospective study by analyzing 102 histories of diseases of older patients (older of 65 year) with colon cancer who were hospitalized from January 1997 to February 2000. All patients were divided into two groups: patients with emergency manifestation of tumour and elective operated patients. Comorbidity was registered in 10 patients (61.3%) in emergency group and 52 (73.2%) in elective operated group. Most frequent among them were diseases of cardiovascular system, lungs and kidneys. Complications were registered in 23 patients (74.2%) in emergency group and 36 (50.7%) patients in elective operated group. Wound infections and pneumonia were most frequent complications. Twelve patients (38.7%) died in emergency and 15 (21.1%) in elective operated group. The highest mortality rate was recorded in patients with diabetes (43.7%). As a conclusion, there is no significant difference in comorbidity and morbidity between the groups of patients with emergency manifestation of tumour and the group of patients electively operated.