Although the number of elderly patients with liver cancer is increasing, a study has found that the prognosis during treatment intervention is similar to that of non-elderly patients. In particular, in the case of advanced liver cancer accompanied by vascular invasion or liver metastases, 40.2% of elderly patients who did not receive treatment reached 40.2%, indicating that awareness of the need for treatment should be improved.
On the 2nd, the Korean Liver Cancer Society held the 7th Liver Cancer Day ceremony at the Westin Chosun Hotel and presented a study on appropriate liver cancer treatment in the aging period.
In a recent large-scale study using data from the National Health Insurance Service, the incidence of liver cancer fell in all age groups, while in those aged 80 and over, it continued to increase at an average annual rate of 9.0% from 70.0 the percent. 100,000 people in 2008 to 160.2 per 100,000 people in 2018.
It has been reported that the predicted crude incidence rate will also gradually increase and quadruple by 2028 compared to 2008 (521 per 100,000 person-years in 2008 → 2055 in 2028).
On this day, the society emphasized the seriousness of the problem and the justification for intervention in elderly patients through the data analysis of the randomized liver cancer registry project committee of the liver cancer registry project committee.
As a result of the liver cancer registry project data analysis, among 15,186 patients newly diagnosed with liver cancer between 2008 and 2017, elderly patients aged 65 years or older accounted for 38.4%.
In the elderly, hepatitis B-related liver cancer accounts for a small percentage (29.7% vs. 68.1%), but hepatitis C (18.1% vs. 6.1%), alcoholic liver disease (16.8% vs. by 7.9%), and other liver diseases compared to non-elderly people (28.0% compared to 10.0%) associated liver cancer is higher.
In this regard, Lee Han-ah, a member of the planning committee (division of gastroenterology at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital) said, “In the liver cancer registration project data analysis, the result was that liver cancer patients did not treatment after diagnosis of liver/liver cancer more often than non-elderly patients (25.5% compared to 16.9%) “Specifically, in the case of advanced liver cancer together with vascular invasion or liver metastases, 40.2% of elderly patients who did not receive treatment were anxious.”
“Even for early liver cancer, which can be cured with hepatectomy or radiofrequency ablation, elderly patients were more likely to receive local treatment, carotid artery chemoembolization, than non-elderly patients,” he said, however , with the recent increase in life expectancy of liver cancer patients, this treatment trend needs to be reconsidered.”
Active liver cancer treatment is known to help improve survival rates regardless of age, so the society felt it was not appropriate to stop treatment just because of old age. In fact, in the analysis of liver cancer registry project data, the survival rate of treated elderly patients was significantly higher than that of untreated patients, confirming the importance of active treatment.
Member Lee said, “In the liver cancer registration project data analysis conducted by the association, it was found that there was no difference in treatment outcomes between elderly and non-aged liver cancer patients, as in other overseas studies.” There is no difference in survival after surgery or radiofrequency ablation, which is an effective treatment, compared to non-elderly patients,” insisting that active treatment is necessary.
“Notably, there was no difference between the elderly and non-elderly patients in the survival rate after carotid artery chemoembolization, radiation therapy, or anticancer drug treatment, even in the past stage of early liver cancer,” he said. ,” he explained.
“In several studies, there was no difference in the incidence of complications after hyperthermia therapy in elderly and non-elderly patients, so local treatment can be applied to elderly patients who do not have enough surgical resection,” he said. difference in the incidence rate, it can be performed in elderly patients, but if the tumors are large or the number is large, radioembolization can be performed considering complications or safety after surgery.
Although in the past many elderly patients diagnosed with advanced liver cancer abandoned treatment due to the lack of safe and effective systemic therapy, recently, the role of extracorporeal radiation therapy has gradually expanded, and many elderly patients receiving radiation therapy safely.
Commissioner Lee said, “As the era of anti-cancer drug treatment has recently opened, it has become possible to significantly reduce tumors and side effects while maintaining quality of life.” he said.
