Surgical outcomes in head and neck cancer patients 80 years of age and older

Background. Elderly patients over 80 years of age represent a growing population, some of whom have complex medical problems that are compounded by the presence of upper aerodigestive tract cancer. Methods. Forty-three patients, aged 80 years and older, who were initially seen with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma from 1986 to 1992 at a tertiary-care center were compared with 79 similar patients, aged 65 years or younger, in a retrospective, case-control study. Results. Median overall survival for the patients over 80 years of age was significantly lower than that for the controls (ρ = .001). However, their overall survival was similar to the actuarial survival for the general octogenarian population. Advanced age also adversely affected local control (ρ