title: Safety and outcome of chemoradiotherapy in elderly patients with rectal cancer: results from two French tertiary centres.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The risks of chemoradiotherapy in elderly patients with rectal cancer have not yet been well-characterised.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients with rectal cancer over 70 years old who were treated with chemoradiotherapy in two French university hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 125 patients were evaluated. Mean age was 75.1 ± 4.1 years and ranged from 70 to 90 years. Adverse effects ≥ grade 2 were observed in 32% of the patients and adverse effects ≥ grade 3 in 15%. Dose reduction for toxicity was performed in 18% of the patients and chemoradiotherapy discontinuation was necessary in 9%. Postoperative morbidity was 16% with two treatment-related deaths. Two-year survival rate was 84%. No variables had any influence on treatment-related adverse events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In selected elderly patients, chemoradiotherapy is well-tolerated, without any significant increase in adverse events, and the results are similar to those recorded in younger patients.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Poitiers University Hospital, Cancéropôle Grand Ouest, Poitiers, France. davidtougeron@hotmail.fr
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Tougeron
authors: Bernard
authors: B
authors: Roullet
authors: Bernard
authors: B
authors: Paillot
authors: Hadji
authors: H
authors: Hamidou
authors: Jean-Marc
authors: JM
authors: Tourani
authors: Réné-Jean
authors: RJ
authors: Bensadoun
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Michel
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Silvain
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069287:Capecitabine; D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D005641:Tegafur / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D005641:Tegafur; D000069287:Capecitabine; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil