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Response to ‘Colorectal cancer resection in the Australian nonagenarian patient’

We read with interest article by Schlichtemeier et al. assessing 30-day mortality and overall survival rates in nonagenarians with colorectal cancer. This retrospective study of 121 patients with median age 91 years concluded that surgical resection in the nonagenarian patient had acceptable 30-day mortality (6.6%) and 1, 3 and 5 year overall survival rates (82.6%, 50.2% and 32.3% respectively).1 
 
As has already been discussed in this journal,2 operative outcomes tell only part of the story. We do not know what would have happened to these patients had they not had an operation. 
 
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