[The clinical analysis of first-line palitaxel plus platinum-based chemotherapy to treat elderly non-small cell lung cancer.].
BACKGROUND
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are more common in elderly people. The elderly patients are usually intolerable to platinum-based chemotherapy for other accompanying diseases. But many recent researches show the age factor is not the absolute contraindication. The aim of this study is to compare the toxic effects, disease progression time and overall survival time between advanced NSCLC patients 60 or older than 60 and younger than 60 who are administrated with palitaxel plus platinum-based agents.


METHODS
One hundred and ninety two patients were retrospectively divided into two groups according to the age of 60. The regimen is palitaxel (175 mg per square meter on day 1) combined with cisplatin (75 mg per square meter on day1)/carboplatin (ar an area under the curve of 5 mg per millimeter per minute on day 1), 3-4 weeks per cycle.


RESULTS
The respond rate in groups >=60 and <60 were 22.34% vs 24.49%, median time to progression were 4.1 months vs 4.4 months; median overall survival time were 11.8 months vs 12.4 months; one, two and three-year survival rate were 52.1% vs 54.1%, 19.1% vs 20.4%, 9.6% vs 11.2%, respectively, there are no statistical difference. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events between groups >=60 and <60 were neutropenia (21.27% and 16.32%, respectively), thrombocytopenia (4.26% and 2.04%), there were no statistical difference. Nonhaematologial toxicities are mild.


CONCLUSIONS
Palitaxel plus platinum-based chemotherapy in elderly patients is effective and tolerable.
Chu
Tianqing
T
Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
Shen
Jie
J
Zhong
Runbo
R
Han
Baohui
B