Inequalities in quality metrics for colorectal cancer surgery in older adults: A retrospective cohort study using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry.

Background: With a growing proportion of patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer being older adults, it is unknown whether traditional quality metrics are achieved as often compared with younger adults. This work was done with a view to understand tailoring needs of quality metrics for older adults with colorectal cancer.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry to identify adults (≥18 years) between 2016 and 2021 who underwent elective colorectal cancer surgery for nonmetastatic cancer. older adults was defined as adults ≥65 years. The association between older adults and attainment of consensus quality metrics were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for patient, cancer, and treatment factors.

Results: Of 46,159 patients undergoing elective colon cancer resection, 18,592 (40.3%) were older adults. Being an older adult was independently associated with a 14% reduction in odds of harvest of ≥12 nodes and 4.3 times increase in odds of 30-day mortality. Of 9,106 patients undergoing elective rectal cancer resection 5,143 (56.5%) were older adults. Being an older adult was independently associated with a 19% reduction in odds of harvest of ≥12 nodes, 2.3 times increase in odds of 30-day mortality and a 44% reduction in odds of receiving neoadjuvant radiation. Findings were robust to sensitivity analyses of alternate methods of handling missing data and alternate analytic approaches.

Conclusion: Given unique needs of the older adult population, interpretation of disparities in quality metrics is challenging because of an inability to differentiate between patient factors, tailored care, or bias. Monitoring and reporting of quality metrics for older adults need to be re-evaluated with consideration to stratification, unique benchmarks, and older adult-specific quality metrics.