Management of small cell lung cancer in elderly.
BACKGROUND
There is increasing interest in the treatment of elderly small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients, however the patients enrolled in clinical studies are strictly selected elderlies.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the treatment of consecutive unselected patients more than 70 years of age in whom SCLC were diagnosed over the past 22 years.


RESULTS
In patients who received cisplatin-containing chemotherapy, response rate(RR) and mean survival time(MST) were 53.8% and 9 months. Whereas, in patients who were treated with carboplatin-containing chemotherapy, RR and MST were 72.0% and 7 months. The latter group included the patients whose doses of carboplatinum was reduced 20 to 50% in the first course of treatment. There was no difference found in RR, survival, and incidence of toxicity between these chemotherapy groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that in elderly SCLC patients, carboplatin could be substituted for cisplatin without apparent loss of therapeutic efficacy.
Satoh
H
H
Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan. hirosato@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
Ishikawa
H
H
Funayama
Y
Y
Yamashita
Y T
YT
Kamma
H
H
Ohtsuka
M
M
Sekizawa
K
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D015376:Nimustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D015376:Nimustine; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin; D007069:Ifosfamide