title: Supportive care of the older cancer patient.
abstract: Aging is associated with decreased functional reserve of multiple organ systems and with changes in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodinamics of drugs. Older individuals express enhanced susceptibility to the complications of cytotoxic chemotherapy, especially to myleotoxicity, mucositis, cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity. The management of older individuals with chemotherapy involves then prevention of these complications. General precautions include proper patient selection, based on the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), dose adjustment for agents that are renally excreted to the patient creatinine clearance and maintenance of hemoglobin levels > or =12 g/dl. Filgrastim and pegfilgrastim proved effective in reducing by 50-75% the risk of neutropenic fever in older individuals treated with CHOP and CHOP-like chemotherapy and should be used for the prophilaxis of infections. When feasible, the oral agent capecitabine, should be used in lieu of intravenous fluorinated pyrimidines, to prevent mucositis. In patients at risk of cardiomyopathy from anthracyclines, dexrazoxane or liposomal compounds may be indicated. When toxicity is properly prevented, cytotoxic chemotherapy may be as effective in older individuals as it is in the younger ones.
authors.affiliation: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida College of Medicine, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. balducci@moffitt.usf.edu
authors.forename: Lodovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balducci
authors.forename: Ignazio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carreca
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D009061:Mouth Mucosa; D038042:Myelopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors