title: Analysis of the characteristics and prognosis of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in older patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. However, most elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been undertreated and the outcome related to age is controversial. A retrospective analysis was conducted for advanced NSCLC in order to investigate the characteristics and prognosis of older patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records were collected from 165 patients with NSCLC (stages IIIA-IIIB) who had been treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) or radiotherapy from January 2009 to January 2011. The cases were divided into two age groups 1) patients ≥70 years old; 2) patients <70 years old. There were 73 patients in group I, 92 in group II. Patient characteristics, treatment toxicities, and prognosis were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 165 patients analyzed, 34 patients (34/73) in group I received concurrent CRT while 47 (47/92) in group II completed that treatment. No significant difference was observed in the reason for patients who discontinued CRT in two groups (P>0.05). In the patients with adenocarcinoma, more cases were found in group II than that in group I; the more squamous cell carcinoma and the more smokers with squamous cell carcinoma were seen in older group (P<0.05). With a median follow-up of 20.5 months, the 1-year survival for group I and II were 49.3% and 40.2% respectively (P=0.243). Two-year survival for the two groups was 20.5% and 16.3% (P=0.483); 3-year survival was 9.6% and 9.8% (P=0.967). There was no significant difference between two groups statistically in survival by univariate analysis (P>0.05). The therapy-related toxicities in group I seem to be similar to the group II (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More adenocarcinoma patients were found in youthful lung cancer and the more smokers with squamous cell carcinoma were seen in older group. Age is not the important factor for the selection and allocation of treatment in advanced NSCLC. The same prognosis and toxicities had been shown in older and young. Age may not be an independent increased risk of death in advanced NSCLC.
authors: Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
authors: Fei
authors: F
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jin-Lu
authors: JL
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiao-Zhi
authors: XZ
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
authors: Li-Ping
authors: LP
authors: Song
authors: Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
authors: Dong-Li
authors: DL
authors: Zhao
keywords: advanced non-small-cell lung cancer; age; prognosis