Prognostic impact of postoperative complications among elderly patients with gastric cancer

Background Japan’s rapidly aging population has led to an increase in elderly patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer. However, the impact of postoperative complications on survival in patients aged ≥80 years remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between postoperative complications and survival outcomes in patients aged ≥80 years with gastric cancer. Materials and methods We retrospectively analyzed 61 patients aged ≥80 years who underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection between 1999 and 2020. Postoperative complications were classified according to the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification into a “no or minor complication group” (CD Grade ≤ II, including no postoperative complications) and a “major complication group” (CD Grade ≥ III), and the impact of postoperative complications on survival outcomes were assessed. A subgroup analysis excluding macroscopic type 4 was also performed. Results Postoperative complications occurred in 24 patients (39.3%), of which 8 (13.1%) experienced major complications. Patients in the major complication group had a significantly longer postoperative hospital stay, while other baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a trend toward poorer OS in the major complication group (P = 0.063), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was significantly worse in this group (P = 0.004). Multivariate analysis showed that postoperative complications of CD grade ≥ III were independently associated with poorer OS (HR 2.51; 95% CI 1.01–6.24; P = 0.049). Subgroup analysis in patients without type 4 also showed significantly worse OS in the major complication group (P = 0.036). Conclusion This study showed that postoperative complications were associated with poorer OS and RFS even in patients aged ≥80 years with gastric cancer. Future large-scale studies are needed to further clarify this association and optimize treatment strategies for this population.