Discontinuation of neoadjuvant therapy does not influence postoperative short-term outcomes in elderly patients (≥ 70 years) with resectable gastric cancer: a population-based study from the dutch upper gastrointestinal cancer audit (DUCA) data

For the elderly patients with gastric cancer, it may be more challenging to tolerate complete neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). The impact of discontinued NAT on the surgical safety and pathological outcomes of elderly patients with poor tolerance remains poorly understood.

Gastric cancer patients received gastrectomy with curative intent from the Dutch upper GI cancer audit (DUCA) database were included in this study. The independent association of age with not initiating and discontinuation of NAT was assessed with restricted cubic splines (RCS). According to the RCS results, age ≥ 70 years was defined as elderly. Short-term postoperative outcomes and pathological results were compared between elderly patients who completed and discontinued NAT.

Between 2011- 2021, total of 3049 patients were included. The risk of not initiating NAT increased from 70 years. In 1954 (64%) patients receiving NAT, the risk of discontinuation increased from 55 years, reaching the peak around 74 years. In the elderly, discontinued NAT was not independently associated with worse 30-day mortality, overall complications, anastomotic leakage, re-intervention, and pathologic complete response, but was associated with a higher risk of R1/2 resection (p-value = 0.001), higher ypT stage (p-value = 0.004), ypN + (p-value = 0.008), and non-response ( p-value = 0.012).

A decreased utilization of NAT has been observed in Dutch gastric cancer patients from 70 years due to old age considerations, possibly because of their high risk of discontinuation. Increasing the utilization of NAT may not adversely impact the surgical safety of gastric cancer population ≥ 70 years and may contribute to better pathological results.