Advanced ovarian cancer in the elderly: results of consecutive trials with cisplatin-based chemotherapy.
From 1982 through 1996, 547 untreated advanced ovarian cancer patients were entered onto Gruppo Oncologico Nord-Ovest (GONO) consecutive randomized trials including cisplatin-based chemotherapy. End points of analysis included the influence of age on prognosis, toxicity, clinical/surgical response rates, progression-free survival and survival. Of the entire study group, 116 patients were 65 years of age or older at diagnosis. WHO main toxicity (any grade) consisted of: emesis (93% of patients), myelotoxicity (leukopenia in 52%, anemia in 51% and thrombocytopenia in 17% of patients), nephrotoxicity in 13% of patients and neurotoxicity in 10% of patients. No significant difference in toxicity was evident between patients > or = or <65 years. Refusal of CT and early (< or =2 courses) interruption of CT due to toxicity were more frequent in elderly patients (3.4 vs. 1.4%; 3.4 vs. 0.7%, respectively). After a median follow-up of 71 months no difference was observed in survival and progression-free survival between younger and older patients. Cox multiple regression analysis of the entire study population demonstrated that age >65 years per se was not a negative prognostic factor.
Chiara
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S
Department of Medical Oncology I, National Institute for Cancer Research, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy. s_chiara@hp380.ist.unige.it
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D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin