title: Appetite Loss as an Adverse Effect During Treatment with EGFR-TKIs in Elderly Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.
abstract: We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the frequency of appetite loss during treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) in elderly patients, aged 75 years or older, with non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR gene mutations.
  
  
  
  Data of a total of 64 patients, including 39 relatively young (hereinafter, younger) patients and 25 elderly patients were analyzed.
  
  
  
  Appetite loss of all grades (p=0.074) and of grade 3 or greater (p=0.030) was more frequently observed in elderly patients. Diarrhea and oral mucositis were also more frequent in elderly patients, although they did not reach statistical significance. No apparent differences were observed in the frequency of aspartate aminotransferase/ alanine aminotransferase elevation, skin rash or fatigue between the two patient groups. The median (95% confidence interval) progression-free survival times were 10.8 (6.6-16.4) months and 11.8 (4.4-20.3) months in the younger and elderly patient groups, respectively.
  
  
  
  Our findings suggest that appetite loss is a major adverse effect in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving treatment with EGFR-TKIs.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Research, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan minomata@med.u-toyama.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Minehiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inomata
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimokawa
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokui
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Taka
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Seisuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okazawa
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kambara
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kashii
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Care and Human Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tobe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000473:pathology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: Epidermal growth factor receptor; adverse effects; elderly; lung cancer