Amrubicin monotherapy for elderly patients with previously treated lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The novel anthracycline agent amrubicin, has been approved in Japan to treat small and non-small cell lung cancers (SCLC and NSCLC). The present study evaluates the toxicity and effect of amrubicin especially in elderly patients with previously treated lung cancer.


METHODS
This retrospective study analyzed data from 51 patients (<70 years of age, n=29; > oor =70 years of age, n=22) with lung cancer (NSCLC, n=21; SCLC, n=30) who were treated with amrubicin at our hospital, between July 2003 and October 2009. All patients had recurrent or refractory lung cancer after one or more chemotherapy regimens. We compared the outcomes of patients younger and older than 70 years of age. Amrubicin (30-40 mg/m(2)/day) was infused depending on patient performance status and laboratory data over a period of 5 minutes on days 1-3, with courses repeated at intervals of at least 3 weeks. The dose was modified according to myelosuppression.


RESULTS
The mean number of treatment cycles, mean dose and mean interval of amrubicin administration did not significantly differ between patients aged <70 and > or =70 years. The rate of hematological toxicities (> or = Grade 3) also did not significantly differ between the two age groups (leukopenia, 48.3% and 59.1% for age <70 and > or =70 years, p=0.573; neutropenia, 65.5% vs. 77.3%, p=0.536; anemia, 20.7% vs. 22.7%, p=1.000; thrombocytopenia, 13.8% vs. 31.8%, p=0.173). The incidence of grade 2-4 non-hematological toxicities also did not significantly differ between the groups. The response rate of SCLC and disease control rate of NSCLC were similar in the younger and older groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Amrubicin monotherapy might be equally tolerated by elderly and younger patients. Further studies are needed to investigate the benefit of amrubicin monotherapy among elderly patients with previously treated lung cancer.
Nakao
Makoto
M
Department of Medical Oncology and Immunology, Nagoya City University School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
Oguri
Tetsuya
T
Suzuki
Takeshi
T
Kunii
Eiji
E
Tomita
Yuki
Y
Iwashima
Yasuhito
Y
Miyazaki
Mikinori
M
Maeno
Ken
K
Sato
Shigeki
S
Ueda
Ryuzo
R
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D059005:Topoisomerase II Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018943:Anthracyclines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D059005:Topoisomerase II Inhibitors; C055866:amrubicin