[Colorectal cancer in the elderly. Surgical treatment, chemotherapy, and contribution from geriatrics]

Abstract

Age is the biggest risk factor for colorectal cancer, with 70% of the cases in patients over 70 years old. For this reason, a review is presented on the surgical treatment and chemotherapy of cancer of colon and rectum in the elderly. A search was performed in PubMed, including words such as elderly, surgery, colorectal cancer, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and oncogeriatrics, and review articles and originals on treatment of colorectal cancer in the elderly were selected. A narrative form was developed from the latest evidence with the results obtained on the treatment of this pathology. Although the treatment of colorectal cancer is standardised, a prior comprehensive geriatric assessment is required in the case of the elderly, before deciding the type of treatment in order to offer these robust elderly-standardised guidelines for the robust elderly and adapt them for use in fragile patients.

Keywords: Anciano; Colorectal cancer; Cáncer colorrectal; Elderly; Oncogeriatrics; Oncogeriatría; Tratamiento; Treatment.