title: Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of the combination of gemcitabine and nedaplatin for elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to retrospectively assess the safety and efficacy of the combination of gemcitabine and nedaplatin in elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients ≥75 years with previously untreated NSCLC who underwent chemotherapy consisting of gemcitabine (800 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8) and nedaplatin (80 mg/m(2) on day 1) every 3 weeks were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 35 patients, 28 were men and 7 were women, with a mean age of 78 years (range 75-87); 10 patients had stage IIIB disease and 25 patients had stage IV disease. The overall response rate was 45.7% (95% confidence interval 28.8-63.4). The median survival time was 14 months (range 3-44). Grade 3-4 toxicities included neutropenia in 74.3%, thrombocytopenia in 48.6%, anemia in 34.3%, hepatic dysfunction in 11.4%, and infection in 2.9%. There were no treatment-related deaths. There were no differences in response rate and survival between patients aged 75-79 years and patients ≥80 years, although grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia and anemia were significantly more frequent in patients ≥80 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the combination of gemcitabine and nedaplatin is effective and well tolerated for selected elderly patients with advanced NSCLC.
authors: Division of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Department of Internal Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Sugiyama
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Hirose
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Nakashima
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Ishida
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Oki
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Murata
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Kusumoto
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Shirai
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Yamaoka
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Okuda
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Ohnishi
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Ohmori
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Adachi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D003841:Deoxycytidine; C053989:nedaplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine