[Anticancer chemotherapy in the elderly: a review of the literature].
Few elderly cancer patients are included in clinical trials, resulting insuffisant data of the effectiveness and tolerance of anticancer drugs in this patient population. The aim of this study was to analyse the studies concerning the effectiveness and tolerance of chemotherapy prescribed for elderly patients treated for colorectal, breast and lung cancer. The data of this population showed that the older patients are less likely to receive chemotherapy than the younger. The age is considered as significant important factor for the decision of chemotherapy of this population. However elderly patients seem to have the same benefit as compared with younger patients. Rather than the criteria of age, comorbidities should be considered. It is necessary to develop specific geriatric assessment and development of clinical trials specifically including elderly patients remains a necessity.
Service de pharmacie, Hôpital Tenon, Cancer Est 4, rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France. isabelle.debrix@tnn.aphp.fr
Isabelle
I
Debrix
Danièle
D
Avenin
Thierry
T
André
Fadi
F
Abbas
Joseph
J
Gligorov
Bernard
B
Milleron
Jean-Pierre
JP
Lotz
Annie
A
Becker
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male