title: A multi-institutional evaluation of carboplatin plus docetaxel regimen in elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Albeit the majority of gastric cancers occur at advanced age, little is known regarding the optimal systemic treatment of elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with AGC who were ≥ 65 years old and were treated with carboplatin (area under the curve/AUC 5,on day 1, every 3 weeks) plus docetaxel (75 mg/m(2), on day 1, every 3 weeks) at 3 institutions were included in this retrospective analysis. The efficacy and the safety data of the regimen were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 30 patients were enrolled. They received 128 cycles of chemotherapy, with a median of 4 cycles (range 2-8). Complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) were observed in 2 (6.7%) and 10 patients (33.3%), respectively, amounting to an overall objective response rate (ORR) of 40%. Seven patients (23.3%) had disease stabilization (SD), and 11 (36.7%) showed disease progression (PD). The most common grade 3-4 toxicity was neutropenia occurring in 19 patients (63.3%). The mean progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.0 ± 0.5 months (95% CI: 5.0-7.4), and the mean overall survival (OS) 12.0 ± 1.0 months (95% CI: 9.2-12.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carboplatin plus docetaxel seems to be an active and well-tolerated regimen, representing a valuable alternative to cisplatin- and/or fluoropyrimidine-containing regimens for the treatment of elderly patients with AGC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Uludag University Medical School, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cubukcu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karabulut
authors.forename: O F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Olmez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Avci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tunali
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Evrensel
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Manavoglu
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D016190:Carboplatin