Postgastrectomy anticancer chemotherapy for stage IV gastric cancer equally tolerable for patients under and over age 65.
We compared the survival time and drug toxicity between patients with stage IV gastric cancer who were over and under 65 years. All had undergone gastric resection followed by treatment with mitomycin C and a fluorinated pyrimidine. There were no differences in prognostic factors or doses of drugs prescribed between the two groups, nor were there differences in survival rates or toxicities. As advanced chronological age is not sufficient justification to limit or withhold treatment with anticancer drugs, postoperative chemotherapy should be designed for patients with gastric cancer, regardless of age.
Maehara
Y
Y
Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Takahashi
I
I
Yoshida
M
M
Baba
H
H
Kusumoto
H
H
Anai
H
H
Sugimachi
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011178:Postgastrectomy Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery