A retrospective analysis comparing the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy in elderly and non-elderly non-small-cell lung cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
The number of elderly patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is increasing in Japan. We retrospectively analyzed and compared the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy in elderly and non-elderly NSCLC patients who received chemotherapy at Shimane University Hospital.


METHODS
We carried out a retrospective analysis of survival in a series of 112 NSCLC patients treated from 2004 through 2009. We compared the data from the elderly group (≥ 70 years-of-age, 56 patients) with the non-elderly group (< 70 years-of-age, 56 patients) who had similar characteristics, such as sex and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status. We analyzed the patient characteristics, therapeutic regimen, dose intensity, toxicity and survival time in both groups.


RESULTS
The patient characteristics were comparable between the two groups; however, there was a significant difference between the choice of first-line therapeutic regimen. A platinum-doublet regimen was more frequently used in the non-elderly population (39.3% vs 64.3% for the elderly patients vs the non-elderly patients, respectively; P < 0.01), whereas single agents and epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors were more frequent in the elderly population (26.8% vs 10.7%, 19.6% vs 7.1%; P < 0.05, respectively). The relative dose intensity was approximately 80% or higher for all regimens, and toxicity was acceptable. The median survival time was 24.4 months and 18.6 months in the elderly and non-elderly groups, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This retrospective study suggests that elderly patients can safely receive effective chemotherapy similar to non-elderly patients under careful observation and management.
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Clinical Oncology & Respiratory Medicine, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, Izumo, Shimane, Japan.
Yukari
Y
Tsubata
Takeshi
T
Honda
Tamio
T
Okimoto
Kiyotaka
K
Miura
Fumi
F
Karino
Shinichi
S
Iwamoto
Taeko
T
Suzuki
Shunichi
S
Hamaguchi
Hibiki
H
Kanda
Akihisa
A
Sutani
Takashige
T
Kuraki
Takeshi
T
Isobe
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents