title: [The evaluation of chemotherapy for patients over eighty-years-old].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the effect and safety of chemotherapy for patients over eighty-year-old.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Ten patients with advanced or recurrent pancreas or biliary tract cancer who were over 80 years old and administered gemcitabine hydrochloride (GEM), were named as "the oldest group", and compared with the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rate was 22. 2% without a significant difference between those 2 groups. The mean duration of treatment and the mean period from the initial chemotherapy to death were 8. 0 and 12 months, respectively, without a significant difference. There was a higher incidence of initial reduction of GEM in the oldest group. There was no significant difference at the DI ratio (actual drug intensity/ideal drug intensity) between 2 groups. Side effects found were 5 cases of neutropenia, 4 cases of anemia and appetite loss greater than grade 3. The dropout ratio (50%) in the oldest group was significantly higher. There was no death related with chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chemotherapy can be used safely and usefully, if appropriately reduced from first administration, for a patient over eighty years old.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgery, Iwate Prefectural Iwai Hospital.
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akada
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.forename: Chikashi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dendo
authors.forename: Youhei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakashita
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine