Chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma in elderly patients.
OBJECTIVE
Chemoradiotherapy, which is one of the standard treatments for locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma, is considered a high-risk procedure in elderly patients. This study investigated the outcome and tolerability of this treatment in elderly patients.


METHODS
We reviewed our database from November 1993 to March 2003 and retrospectively examined the clinical data of patients with histologically confirmed exocrine pancreatic carcinomas that were nonresectable but confined to the pancreatic region, who were treated with protracted 5-fluorouracil infusion (200 mg/m2/day) and concurrent radiotherapy (50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over 5.5 weeks). We evaluated the outcome of patients > or =70 years and those <70 years.


RESULTS
There were 19 patients > or =70 and 39 patients <70. On pretreatment evaluation, the elderly patients showed lower serum albumin levels, lower transaminase levels, better ECOG performance status, more frequent body weight loss and less frequent abdominal and/or back pain with the administration of morphine than the younger patients. There were no significant differences in the frequency of severe toxicity. Neither the response rate nor the incidence of treatment discontinuation differed significantly between the two groups. The median survival time was longer in the elderly patients than in the younger patients (11.3 vs. 9.5 months, p = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
With careful patient selection, chemoradiotherapy can be one of the treatment options for locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma in elderly patients.
Morizane
Chigusa
C
Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Okusaka
Takuji
T
Ito
Yoshinori
Y
Ueno
Hideki
H
Ikeda
Masafumi
M
Takezako
Yoriko
Y
Kagami
Yoshikazu
Y
Ikeda
Hiroshi
H
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020714:Maximum Tolerated Dose; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D003841:Deoxycytidine; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000093542:Gemcitabine