title: Adjuvant treatment for elderly patients with colon cancer. An observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adjuvant 5-fluoruracil-based chemotherapy significantly reduces mortality in patients with stage II-III colon cancer, but is less prescribed with rising age. In this study we were interested in the pattern of adjuvant treatment and possible effects on survival among elderly patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January to December 2004, 63 questionnaires on the management of stage II-III resected colon cancer patients aged over 70 years, collected from 10 Italian Centres, were retrospectively examined. Determinants of receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy and their relation to survival were considered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of elderly patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy was 79.4%, distinct of age, gender, educational level and comorbidities. Grade 3-4 toxicities were the following: haematological in 4 (8.5.%) patients, mucositis in 4 (8.5%), diarrhoea in 2 (4.2%) and nausea in 1 (2.1%). The disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) at two years were 79.9% and 95.6%, respectively. Due to the paucity of events, the impact of prognostic factors (patient's age and comorbidity, tumour stage and grade) on DFS and OS could not be assessed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An increasing proportion of elderly patients with colon cancer may be treated with a tolerability and OS similar to those observed in the younger population. Development of age-based guidelines and increased awareness of both physicians and patients through education is important to prevent undertreatment of those elderly patients who are eligible for chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Oncologico Veneto, IRCCS, Medical Oncology 2nd, Padova, Italy. laramary@libero.it
authors.forename: Lara Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pasetto
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Falci
authors.forename: Umberto
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authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: Giampietro
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authors.lastname: Gasparini
authors.forename: Mario
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authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonginelli
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bajetta
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Platania
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alabiso
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miraglia
authors.forename: Erica
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authors.lastname: Bertona
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oniga
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biason
authors.forename: Maria Concetta
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chetrì
authors.forename: Palma
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authors.lastname: Fedele
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Massara
authors.forename: Incoronata
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authors.lastname: Romaniello
authors.forename: Maria Emanuela
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Negru
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luchena
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buzzi
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ricottao
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sienao
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monfardini