Treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in the older patient.
Lung cancer is a disease of the elderly, with a median age at diagnosis of 70 years. However, there is a dearth of good quality evidence to guide treatment in this population and most of the data are extrapolated from younger patients. Current research is directed toward establishing simplified instruments to quantify fitness of older patients for various forms of therapy. Although current evidence suggests that outcomes after standard therapy are similar to those seen in younger patients, older patients have an increased incidence of adverse events. Until better predictive markers are available to guide treatment, therapy should be individualized using available instruments, including a comprehensive geriatric assessment. If an older patient is deemed to be fit, it is reasonable to use the treatment options recommended for younger individuals. This article summarizes the available data on the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in the older patient.
Department of Internal Medicine, Omaha VA Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. aganti@unmc.edu
Apar Kishor
AK
Ganti
Mollie
M
deShazo
Alva B
AB
Weir
Arti
A
Hurria
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019468:Disease Management; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*