title: Age does not impair the efficacy of immunochemotherapy in patients with metastatic renal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Based on the increasing proportion of elderly cancer patients, we compared the efficacy of subcutaneous cytokine based home therapy in older (age > or = 60 years) and younger (age < 60 years) patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  As a rule, patients at an age of 60 years or older received a 20% dose reduction of s.c. IL-2. Treatment consisted of (A) s.c. interferon-alpha2a (s.c. INF-alpha2a), s.c. interleukin-2 (s.c. IL-2), (B) s.c. IFN-alpha2a, s.c. IL-2 and i.v. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or (C) s.c. IFN-alpha2a, s.c. IL-2 and i.v. 5-FU combined with p.o. 13-cis-retinoic acid (p.o. 13cRA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient age groups > or = 60 years (n=174) and < 60 years (n=251) showed no significant difference in objective response (27% versus 31%), in median overall survival (22 months versus 19 months), and in progression-free survival (6 months versus 5 months). Within the elderly patients group, median overall survival was 20 months (pts. 60-64 years) versus 23 months (pts. > or = 65 years) and median progression-free survival was 4 months (pts. 60-64 years) versus 8 months (pts. > or = 65 years).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrated that patient age and related IL-2 dose reduction do not impair the efficacy of s.c.-IL-2 plus s.c.-INF-2a based outpatient immunochemotherapy in metastatic renal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Fachklinik Hornheide an der Universität Münster, Dorbaumstr. 300, 48157 Münster, Germany. sekrprofatzpodien@yahoo.de
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atzpodien
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wandert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reitz
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018575:Home Care Services, Hospital-Based; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000628:therapy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005472:Fluorouracil