title: Gemcitabine Plus Platinum Combination Chemotherapy for Elderly Patients with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to analyze the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine plus platinum chemotherapy for patients aged 70 years or older with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the records of stage IIIB, IV NSCLC patients or surgically inoperable stage II, IIIA NSCLC patients who were aged 70 years or older when treated with gemcitabine (1,250 mg/m(2)) plus cisplatin (75 mg/m(2)) or carboplatin (AUC5) chemotherapy from 2001 to 2010 at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital and St. Vincent's Hospital. Gemcitabine was administered on days 1 and 8, and cisplatin or carboplatin was administered on day 1. Treatments were repeated every 3 weeks for a maximum of 4 cycles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the 62 patients was 73.5 years (range, 70 to 84 years). Forty-one (66%) patients exhibited comorbidity. The mean number of treatment cycles was 3.9. The compared average relative dose intensity of gemcitabine plus platinum chemotherapy was 84.8%. The median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 5.0 months and 9.4 months, respectively. Reduced Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (none vs. ≥1) and weight loss (<5% vs. ≥5%) after treatment were found to have a significant effect on OS (p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gemcitabine plus platinum chemotherapy is an effective treatment option with an acceptable level of toxicity in patients aged 70 years or older with good performance status in advanced NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Ji Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mi Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jin-Hyoung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Young Kyoon
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Pil
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jae Kil
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hoon-Kyo
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim