Small cell lung carcinoma in the elderly.
Twenty-four patients over the age of 70 with small cell cancer of the lung were studied retrospectively. Ninety-two per cent of these patients had other concurrent medical disorders; 58 per cent had cardiac disease and 25 per cent had a second malignancy. The median survival of 20 treated patients was ten months, and the one-year survival was 30 per cent. Such elderly patients with multiple medical problems can benefit from combination chemotherapy.
D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000150:complications; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary; D012189:Retrospective Studies