title: Adjuvant chemotherapy outcomes in patients over 65 years with early stage colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and the outcomes of adjuvant chemotherapy of patients with colorectal cancer aged ≥ 65 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March 2003 and December 2010, the medical files of 562 colorectal cancer patients ≥ 65 years of age who were under follow-up in Ankara Numune Educational Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, were retrospectively analyzed. Only 210 patients with non-metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis and those who had undergone surgical resection were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient median age was 71 years (range 65-87). Of the patients, 115 (54.8%) were males and 95 (45.2%) females. The most common involvement site was the rectum (41.4%), followed by sigmoid colon (21.9%). According to the TNM staging, 12.4% patients had stage I, 48.6% stage II, and 39% stage III disease. At the time of diagnosis 19 patients (9%) had ECOG PS 0, 112 (53.3%) ECOG PS 1, 61 (29%) ECOG PS 2, and 16 (7.7%) ECOG PS 3. Of the patients, 141 (66.5%) were administered adjuvant chemotherapy, whereas 69 patients (33%) were not. Thirty nine (18.6%) patients with adjuvant chemotherapy received fluorouracil/folinic acid (FUFA%) weekly, 59 (28%) received FUFA infusion, and 43 (21%) received oxaliplatin, folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil (FOLFOX-4) regimen. The median follow-up was 27 months (range 1-116). Disease free survival (DFS) was not reached during the follow-up period. The estimated overall survival (OS) was 68.8 months (range 48.5-73.0). Sixty six (31%) patients died during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elderly patients with high risk for recurrence of colorectal cancer must receive adjuvant chemotherapy after curative surgery. Infusional FUFA seems more effective than other regimens.
authors.affiliation: Kirikkale University Medical Faculty, Department of Medical Oncology, Kirikkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Civelek
authors.forename: Sercan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali Nahit
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sendur
authors.forename: Ozan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanmaz
authors.forename: F Tugba
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: Nuriye
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Dogan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uncu
authors.forename: Nurullah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zengin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil