Background: This study aimed to compare the outcomes of older and younger patients with T4 colorectal cancer (CRC) treated with surgery. Methods: Consecutive patients with T4 CRC treated surgically at Henri Mondor Hospital between 2008 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed in age subgroups (1) 50–69 years and (2) ≥70 years for overall and relative survival. The multivariable analyses were adjusted for adjusted for age, margin status, lymph node involvement, CEA level, postoperative complications (POC), synchronous metastases, and type of surgery. Results: Of 106 patients with T4 CRC, 57 patients (53.8%) were 70 years or older. The baseline characteristics were generally balanced between the two age groups. Older patients underwent adjuvant therapy less commonly (42.9 vs. 57.1%; p = 0.006) and had a longer delay between surgery and chemotherapy (median 40 vs. 34 days; p < 0.001). A higher trend for POC was reported among the older patients but did not impact the survival outcomes. After adjusting for confounding factors, the overall survival was shorter among the older patients (HR = 3.322, 95% CI 1.49–7.39), but relative survival was not statistically correlated to the age group (HR = 0.873, 95% CI 0.383–1.992). Conclusions: Older patients with CRC were more prone to severe POC, but age did not impact the relative survival of patients with T4 colorectal cancer. Older patients should not be denied surgery based on age alone.
Background: Accurate diagnosis of thyroid nodules is crucial for avoiding unnecessary surgeries and enabling timely treatment. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and ultrasound are commonly employed diagnostic techniques, but their reliability is debated. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC and ultrasounds using histopathology as the reference standard. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on 344 patients who underwent thyroidectomy between January 2017 and May 2022. An ultrasound and FNAC were performed before surgery, and histopathological findings were compared. Statistical analyses were conducted to calculate sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), false positive rate, false negative rate, and overall accuracy for each diagnostic method. Results: Among the study population, 38.67% of thyroid tumors were malignant. Ultrasound showed a sensitivity of 68.18%, specificity of 76.55%, PPV of 64.74%, NPV of 79.20%, and overall accuracy of 73.31%. FNAC had a sensitivity of 89.31%, specificity of 48.44%, PPV of 78%, NPV of 68.89%, and accuracy of 75.89%. The correlation coefficient between ultrasound and FNAC was 0.512 (p < 0.0000001). Ultrasound correlated with histopathology with a coefficient of 0.408 (p < 0.0000001), while FNAC with histopathology had a coefficient of 0.304 (p < 0.00001). The correlation coefficient between these three diagnostic methods was 0.423 (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: In the diagnosis of thyroid nodules, both FNAC and ultrasound demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracy. Ultrasound showed a higher specificity, while FNAC exhibited a higher sensitivity. Combining these techniques may improve diagnostic accuracy. Further research and the development of more reliable diagnostic methods are warranted to optimize the management of thyroid nodules and avoid unnecessary surgeries.