title: Non-small cell lung cancer in octogenarians: treatment practices and preferences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), patients aged 80 or older have inferior survival. Treatment practices in this patient population are poorly described. In this report, we describe the treatment of a population of very elderly patients with NSCLC at a large teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review was performed of 111 outpatients with NSCLC aged 80 or older. Patient treatment regimens were evaluated for consistency with contemporaneous stage-specific guideline-recommended therapy (GRT). Attention was paid to how patient characteristics and attitudes influence therapy decisions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients characteristics included median age of 82.6 years (range, 80-92), 30% stage I-II, 39% stage IV, 59% performance status 0-1, 25% performance status >or=2 (performance status unavailable for 15%). Eighty-four percent of the patients received some form of antineoplastic therapy, and 11% were treated with best supportive care alone. Of 34 patients with localized disease, 53% underwent tumor resection and 38% received definitive radiation. Of 70 patients with stage III or IV disease, 36% received cytotoxic chemotherapy and 27% received oral targeted therapy alone. Thirty-two percent of patients received the stage-specific GRT. Of the patients who did not receive GRT, 26% electively refused the offered GRT and 74% were not offered GRT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The vast majority of octogenarian patients with NSCLC receive antineoplastic therapy, but only one third of this population receives stage-specific GRT. Although many patients choose aggressive therapies, a small but clinically significant portion chose not to receive the offered GRT. More data are needed on appropriate therapy recommendations for this patient population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Geoffrey R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Oxnard
authors.forename: Panos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fidias
authors.forename: Alona
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muzikansky
authors.forename: Lecia V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Sequist
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000628:therapy; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome