Treatment patterns by decade of life in elderly women (> or =70 years of age) with ovarian cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Elderly patients are less likely to receive surgery and platinum-based combination chemotherapy than younger patients. We evaluated multi-institutional management of ovarian cancer in the elderly.


METHODS
Charts of women with ovarian, primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer from 1/1996-6/2004, age > or =70 years were reviewed. Age, stage, medical co-morbidities, surgery, chemotherapy, treatment modification, toxicity and survival were analyzed. Chi-square, logistic regression and survival analysis were used.


RESULTS
Of 131 patients, 90 were ages 70-79 (group 1 = G1) and 41 were >80 years of age (group 2 = G2). Surgery was performed in 80 patients in G1; 25 patients in G2 (P = 0.001). Among patients who underwent surgery, optimal debulking and post-operative complications did not differ between groups. Ninety-five percent of patients received platinum-based therapy and 83% received combination platinum/paclitaxel in G1, compared to 90% and 41%, respectively, in G2 (P < 0.001). Of those receiving platinum therapy, 36% in G1 and 41% in G2 required dose reductions or termination of therapy. Forty percent of G1 and 50% of G2 required a delay of therapy; the majority occurring in patients receiving combination therapy. Hematological toxicity increased with use of combination therapy, but not with advancing age or Charlson score. Successful debulking surgery significantly impacted survival, and when controlling for this factor, age was not a significant variable.


CONCLUSIONS
The extreme elderly had a decreased likelihood of receiving surgery and combination chemotherapy despite equivalent co-morbidities. In this analysis, optimal surgical cytoreduction had the greatest impact on survival.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI, USA.
Denise
D
Uyar
Heidi E
HE
Frasure
Maurie
M
Markman
Vivian E
VE
von Gruenigen
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds