Esophageal cancer (EC) is the eighth dangerous cancer in the world. As the global population ages, the management of elderly patients with EC poses a challenge as they have many aging-associated diseases and physiological changes. In addition, the data on the tolerability of cancer treatment and the use of combined therapies in the patients to guide their treatment are limited. In this paper, we reviewed the literatures and discussed the effect of surgical resection and the potential complications of elderly patients. We reviewed the basic principles of combined therapy and the potential benefits of chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for patients and focused on the management of elderly patients with EC as well as the role of comprehensive assessment for aging to provide treatment options for elderly patients.
Objective To evaluate effectiveness of proximal femur bionic nail (PFBN) in treatment of intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly compared to the proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA). Methods A retrospective analysis was made on 48 geriatric patients with intertrochanteric fractures, who met the selection criteria and were admitted between January 2020 and December 2022. Among them, 24 cases were treated with PFBN fixation after fracture reduction (PFBN group), and 24 cases were treated with PFNA fixation (PFNA group). There was no significant difference in baseline data such as age, gender, cause of injury, side and type of fracture, time from injury to operation, and preoperative mobility score, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, Alzheimer’s disease degree scoring, self-care ability score, osteoporosis degree (T value), and combined medical diseases between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, number of blood transfusions, transfusion volume, length of hospital stay, occurrence of complications, weight-bearing time after operation, and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score, walking ability score, mobility score, self-care ability score were recorded and compared between the two groups. And the radiographic assessment of fracture reduction quality and postoperative stability, and fracture healing time were recorded. ResultsThe operations in both groups were successfully completed. All patients were followed up 6-15 months with an average time of 9.8 months in PFBN group and 9.6 months in PFNA group. The operation time was significantly longer in PFBN group than in PFNA group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss, number of blood transfusions, transfusion volume, length of hospital stay, change in activity ability score, and change in self-care ability score between the two groups (P>0.05). The weight-bearing time after operation was significantly shorter in PFBN group than in PFNA group (P<0.05), and the postoperative VAS score and walking ability score were significantly better in PFBN group than in PFNA group (P<0.05). Radiographic assessment showed no significant difference in fracture reduction scores and postoperative stability scores between the two groups (P>0.05). All fractures healed and there was no significant difference in fracture healing time between the two groups (P>0.05). The incidence of complications was significantly lower in PFBN group (16.7%, 4/24) than in PFNA group (45.8%, 11/24) (P<0.05). ConclusionCompared with PFNA, PFBN in the treatment of elderly intertrochanteric fractures can effectively relieve postoperative pain, shorten bed time, reduce the risk of complications, and facilitate the recovery of patients’ hip joint function and walking ability.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of the screw blade position on the effectiveness of proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA) internal fixation for unstable intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly.MethodsA clinical data of 131 elderly patients with unstable intertrochanteric fractures who were treated with PFNA internal fixation between January 2010 and January 2017 was retrospectively analyzed. According to the anteroposterior X-ray films, the screw blades were placed in the middle of the femoral neck in 72 patients (group A) and at one-third of the femoral neck in 59 patients (group B). There was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05) in the gender, age, bone density, classification of fractures, other medical diseases, and the time between injury and operation. Multiple treatment indexes were analyzed, including complications, hip Harris score, the healing status of fracture, tip-apex distance (TAD), and the height of the tail nail.ResultsAll patients were followed up 11-14 months, with an average of 12.1 months. All incisions healed by first intention with no complications. All fractures healed and no significant difference in bone healing time between the two groups (Z=−0.190, P=0.849). At 6 months after operation, TAD was (2.23±0.07) cm in group A and (2.85±0.12) cm in group B, showing significant difference (t=−47.643, P=0.000); and the height of the tail nail was (1.72±0.14) cm in group A and (0.53±0.26) cm in group B, showing significant difference (t=31.031, P=0.000). According to the Harris score, the hip functions were rated as excellent in 48 cases, good in 15 cases, and poor in 9 cases in group A, while as excellent in 38 cases, good in 16 cases, and poor in 5 cases in group B, with no significant difference between the two groups (Z=−0.075, P=0.941).ConclusionFor the unstable intertrochanteric fracture in the elderly, the PFNA internal fixation with appropriated TAD and the screw blades placed in the middle or at one-third of the femoral neck can obtain good effectiveness.
Objective To compare the effectiveness of internal fixation, hemiarthroplasty, and total hip arthroplasty in the treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures in elderly patients so as to provide the evidence for the selection of therapeutic methods. Methods Between May 2005 and April 2008, 108 elderly patients with displaced femoral neck fractures were treated by internal fixation with compression screw (IF group, n=31), hemiarthroplasty (HA group, n=37), and total hiparthroplasty (THA group, n=40). In IF group, there were 8 males and 23 females with an average age of 73 years (range, 65-80 years); fractures were caused by tumbl ing (25 cases) and traffic accident (6 cases), including 17 cases of Garden type III and 14 cases of Garden type IV; and the time from injury to operation ranged from 8 hours to 13 days with an average of 4.2 days. In HA group, there were 10 males and 27 females with an average age of 74 years (range, 65-80 years); fractures were caused by tumbl ing (29 cases) and traffic accident (8 cases), including 21 cases of Garden type III and 16 cases of Garden type IV; and the time from injury to operation ranged from 1 to 14 days with an average of 4.4 days. In THA group, there were 11 males and 29 females with an average age of 73 years (range, 66-80 years); fractures were caused by tumbl ing (32 cases) and traffic accident (8 cases), including 23 cases of Garden type III and 17 cases of Garden type IV; and the time from injury to operation ranged from 2 to 14 days with an average of 5.6 days. There was no significant difference in general data among 3 groups (P gt; 0.05). Results There were significant differences in operation time and blood loss among 3 groups (P lt; 0.05), and IF group was less than other 2 groups. All patients were followed up 1 year and 4 months to 2 years and 3 months with an average of 1 year and 8 months. In IF group, HA group, and THA group, the rates of early postoperative compl ications were 19.4% (6/31), 8.1% (3/37), and 7.5% (3/40), respectively; the rates of late postoperative compl ications were 29.0% (9/31), 13.5% (5/37), and 7.5% (3/40), respectively; and the reoperation rates were 29.0% (9/31), 10.8% (4/37), and 5.0% (2/40), respectively. The rates of the early postoperative compl ication, late postoperative compl ication, and reoperation rate were significantly higher in IF group than in HA group and THA group (P lt; 0.05), but there was no significant difference between HA group and THA group (P gt; 0.05). The mortal ity rates were 16.1% (5/31), 13.5% (5/37), and 15.0% (6/40) in IF group, HA group, and THA group, respectively; showing no significant difference (P gt; 0.05). According to Harris hip score, the excellent and good rates were 65.4% (17/26), 81.3% (26/32), and 85.3% (29/34) in IF group, HA group, and THA group, respectively; showing significant differences among 3 groups (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion According to patient’s age, l ife expectancy, and general conditions, THA is a reasonable choice for the patients aged 65-80 years with displaced femoral neck fracture.
ObjectiveTo explore the influence of sentinel lymph node (SLN) status on the prognosis of elderly breast cancer patients ≥70 years old, and to screen patients who may be exempted from sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), so as to guide clinical individualized treatment for such patients. MethodsA retrospective analysis was made on 270 breast cancer patients aged ≥70 years old who underwent SLNB in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from 2012 to 2021. The clinicopathological characteristics of the total cases were compared according to the status of SLN. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve, and the influence of SLN status on the overall survival (OS) time, local recurrence (LR) and distant metastasis (DM) of patients were analyzed, and used log-rank to compare between groups. At the same time, the patients with hormone receptor (HR) positive were analyzed by subgroup. The differences between groups were compared by single factor χ2 test, and multivariate Cox regression model was used to analyze and determine the factors affecting OS, LR and DM of patients. ResultsThe age of 270 patients ranged from 70 to 95 years, with a median age of 74 years. One hundred and sixty-nine (62.6%) patients’ tumor were T2 stage. Invasive ductal carcinoma accounted for 83.0%, histological gradeⅡ accounted for 74.4%, estrogen receptor positive accounted for 78.1%, progesterone receptor positive accounted for 71.9%, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative accounted for 83.3%. The number of SLNs obtained by SLNB were 1-9, and the median was 3. SLN was negative in 202 cases (74.8%) and positive in 68 cases (25.2%). Thirty-five patients (13.0%) received axillary lymph node dissection. There was no significant difference in LR between the SLN positive group and the SLN negative group (P>0.05), but the SLN negative group had fewer occurrences of DM (P=0.001) and longer OS time (P=0.009) compared to the SLN positive group. The results of univariate and multivariate analysis suggest that the older the patient, the shorter the OS time and the greater the risk of DM. Analysis of HR positive subgroups showed that SLN status did not affect patient survival and prognosis, but age was still associated with poor OS time and DM. ConclusionsFor patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of breast in T1-T2 stage, HR positive, clinical axillary lymph nodes negative, and age ≥70 years old, SLNB may be exempted. According to the patient’s performance or tumor biological characteristics, patients who need systemic adjuvant chemotherapy may still consider SLNB.
Objective To observe the short-term efficacy and the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in patients aged over 80 years with multivessel coronary artery disease following two-stage Hybrid surgery. Methods We retrospectively analysed the clinical data of 67 patients aged over 80 years with multivessel coronary artery disease undergoing surgery in our hospital. The were 44 males and 23 females with an anverage age of 82.4±2.1 years. According to the operation pattern, the patients were divided into two groups: a two-stage Hybrid surgery group (n=29, 19 males, 10 females, aged 83.2±3.1 years) and a traditional thoracotomy group (n=38, 25 males, 13 females, aged 83.3±3.4 years). We compared the clinical results of perioperation between the two groups. Results Conpared with the traditional thoracotomy group, the two-stage Hybrid surgery group had shorter postoperative duration of mechanical ventilation (6.7±2.2 hvs. 18.2±3.4 h) and hospitalization stay (15.7±3.0 dvs. 20.7±5.6 d) and had less volume of chest drainage during the first 24 h after surgery (176.5±32.3 mlvs. 443.8±51.5 ml). The incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in the two-stage Hybrid surgery group was significantly lower than that in the traditional thoracotomy group (6.9%vs. 23.1%, P<0.05). Conclusion The two-stage Hybrid surgery in patients aged over 80 years with multivessel coronary artery disease can significantly decrease the postoperative incidence of adverse cardiovascular events, shorten the postoperative duration of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization stay, reduce the volume of chest drainage during the first 24 h after surgery and improve prognosis of surgery for the elderly patients.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the conditions of activity of daily living (ADL) and influence factors of ADL of hospitalized elderly (≥60 years old) patients. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the health and ADL conditions of hospitalized elderly patients in the geriatric department of a tertiary hospital in Chongqing by ADL scale. The influence factors of ADL were analysed by using logistic regression analysis. ResultsA total of 375 hospitalized elderly patients were included. The ADL impairment rate of female was 59.60% (93/156), the one of male was 75.90% (166/219), and there was significant difference between different sex (χ2=11.169, P=0.001). The impairment rate by age were 95.40% at 60 to 69 years old, 91.40% at 70 to 79 years old, 87.20% at 80 to 89 years old, and 98.55% at above 90 years old, respectively; there was significant difference among different age groups (χ2=8.575, P=0.036). The result of logistic regression analysis showed that age was the individual risk factor of ADL (OR=0.188, 95%CI 0.085 to 0.416, P=0.000). The difficulty of walking up and down stairs occupied the highest proportion (68.80%) in 10 items of ADL scale. ConclusionHospitalized elderly patients should be equipped with specialized paramedics to minimize the difficulties of ADL, in order to improve their quality of life.
ObjectiveTo assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews of Tai Chi for preventing falls in the elderly and the quality of evidence for outcome indicators.MethodsPubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, EMbase, CNKI, WanFang Data, CBM and VIP databases were electronically retrieved. According to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, the final articles were selected and the relevant literature information was extracted by reading the abstract and the full text. The methodological quality of the included systematic reviews was evaluated using AMSTAR 2 tool, and the quality of the outcome indicators of the included systematic reviews was further graded according to the GRADE system.ResultsA total of 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses were included. The AMSTAR 2 evaluation showed that 10 studies were in critically-low methodological quality, and 1 study was in low methodological quality. The GRADE evaluation results showed that among the 36 outcome indicators included, there were 10 intermediate quality indicators, 20 low-level quality indicators and 6 extremely low-level quality indicators. Among the indicators of intermediate quality, single-leg stand test (MD = 5.33, 95%CI 3.35 to 7.32, P< 0.01; WMD = 1.76, 95%CI −7.00 to 10.52, P< 0.01), time up and go test (MD = 1.04, 95%CI 0.67 to 1.41, P< 0.01), the berg balance scale (MD = 2.18, 95%CI 0.93 to 3.43, P< 0.01), number of falls (RR = 0.82, 95%CI 0.73 to 0.92), P< 0.01), the incidence of 2-falls (OR = 0.69, 95%CI 0.49 to 0.97, P< 0.01) and the incidence of 3-falls (OR = 0.39, 95%CI 0.21 to 0.73, P< 0.01). The results of the above indicators were statistically significant, indicating that Tai Chi was better than control group.ConclusionsAt present, the methodological quality of relevant systematic reviews of Tai Chi for preventing falls in the elderly was relatively low and the quality of the evidence was not good, so it can’t be proved that Tai Chi can effectively prevent falls in the elderly, which needs to be further studied at a high level.
Objective To establish the reference intervals for platelet-related parameters among the elderly population in Longquanyi District, Chengdu. Methods From November 1st to December 31st 2021, elderly individuals aged between 60 and 80 years were selected from the Longquanyi branch of a natural population cohort study initiated by West China Hospital of Sichuan University in 2021. Complete blood cell analysis was performed to obtain the platelet-related parameters. IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software was used to analyze the data and establish the reference intervals for platelet-related parameters among the elderly population in Longquanyi District. Results A total of 1938 reference individuals were selected by inclusion and exclusion criteria, and finally 1669 reference individuals, including 665 males and 1004 females, were included to establish the reference intervals after excluding outliers. The reference range of blood platelet count was (95.03-301.32)×109/L for elderly men and (112.13-320.75)×109/L for elderly women, respectively. The reference range of mean platelet volume was 8.97-13.80 fL for elderly men and 9.10-13.90 fL for elderly women, respectively. The reference range of plateletcrit was 0.13%-0.30% for elderly men and 0.14%-0.32% for elderly women, respectively. The reference range of platelet distribution width was 15.80-16.90 for elderly men and 15.70-16.90 for elderly women, respectively. Conclusion It is of practical significance to establish platelet-related parameters in the elderly in local region.
ObjectiveTo compare the short-term effectiveness between Gamma 3 intramedullary nails and Gamma 3 U-Blade system in the treatment of osteoporotic intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 124 elderly patients with osteoporotic intertrochanteric fractures, who were admitted between February 2020 and February 2023 and met the selection criteria. The fractures were fixed with Gamma 3 intramedullary nails in 65 patients (control group) and Gamma 3 U-Blade systems in 59 patients (UB group). The differences between the two groups were not significant in age, gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, bone mineral density, time from injury to operation, fracture classification, and affected side (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, and fracture healing time were recorded; the tip-apex distance, fracture reduction quality, and lag screw position were evaluated on X-ray films at immediate after operation; the lag screw sliding distance and change value of neck-shaft angle were measured on X-ray films at last follow-up. Harris hip score at 1 year after operation and the occurrence of internal fixation-related complications were compared between the two groups. Results The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and hospital stay in the UB group increased compared to the control group, but the differences were not significant (P>0.05). All patients in both groups were followed up 12-24 months (mean, 17.1 months). At 12 months after operation, there was no significant difference in the Harris hip score between the two groups (P<0.05). Radiological examination showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05) in terms of tip-apex distance, fracture reduction quality, and lag screw position. Fractures healed in both groups, and there was no significant difference in healing time (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the change value of neck-shaft angle and lag screw sliding distance in the UB group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). During follow-up, no related complications occurred in the UB group, while 6 cases (9.2%) in the control group experienced complications, and the difference in the incidence was significant (P<0.05). ConclusionFor the osteoporotic intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly, the Gamma 3 U-Blade system fixation can achieve good short-term effectiveness, with better imaging results compared to Gamma 3 intramedullary nails fixation.