scholarly journals Chemotherapy Treatment of Elderly Patients (≥70 Years) with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Seven-Year Retrospective Study of Real-Life Clinical Practice at Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirsh Koyi ◽  
Gunnar Hillerdal ◽  
Olov Andersson ◽  
Karl-Gustav Kölbeck ◽  
Per Liv ◽  
...  

An increasing proportion of cancer patients are aged >65 years and many are aged >70 years. Treatment of the elderly with lung cancer has, therefore, become an important issue; so we performed a retrospective study of our patients to demonstrate how elderly patients with NSCLC are treated in real-life, clinical practice. All patients aged ≥70 years with NSCLC at our department were reviewed retrospectively. In total, 1059 patients (50.8% of all NSCLC patients). Of these patients, 243 (22.9%) received chemotherapy, 164 (70.4%) of whom were treated with a platinum doublet using carboplatin. Second- and third-line chemotherapy were given to 31.4% and 13.9% of patients, respectively. Median overall survival was 289 and 320 days for male and female patients, respectively. Patients with performance status (PS) 0 experienced significantly better survival than patients with PS1 or PS 2: 410, 314, and 204 days, respectively. Age was of less importance, with patients aged 70–79 years versus those aged ≥80 years. Treatment of elderly NSCLC patients with chemotherapy is feasible if they have a good PS and appears to prolong survival. In this study, we found no significant differences in survival either between age groups or genders.

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 7553-7553 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fruh ◽  
H. Tribodet ◽  
J. Pignon ◽  
T. Winton ◽  
T. Le Chevalier ◽  
...  

7553 Background: Adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy (CT) has been shown to increase survival in NSCLC, but uncertainty exists concerning its efficacy and toxicity in elderly patients (≥ 70). Methods: We performed a pooled analysis using individual patient data from 4,584 patients in the LACE database with resected stage IA-III NSCLC enrolled in 5 randomized trials, comparing postoperative CT to no CT (ALPI, ANITA, BLT, IALT and JBR10). Patient and treatment characteristics, CT toxicity and delivery, overall survival, disease-free survival (DFS) and cause-specific mortality were compared among 3 age groups: 3,269 (71%) young (<65), 901 (20%) mid-category (65–69) and 414 (9%) elderly (≥70). The analysis was performed on an intent-to-treat basis. Cox models stratified by trials and adjusted for age, associated drug, planned radiotherapy, total dose of cisplatin (<300, 300, >300), gender, stage, performance status, type of surgery and histology were used with a test for trend to study the effect of CT on survival according to age. Results: Baseline characteristics differed among the age groups, but this was due mainly to the different trial populations and designs. No difference in severe toxicity rate was observed among the age groups. Elderly patients received significantly smaller total doses of cisplatin than the other patients (Chi2-test: p<0.0001) and also the cisplatin doses received were more often lower than the planned one (Kruskal-Wallis test: p<0.0001). The Hazard ratio (HR) of death for the young patients was 0.82 (95% CI 0.73–0.92), 0.86 (95% CI 0.70–1.07) for the mid category and 1.01 (95% CI 0.78–1.32) for elderly patients (test for trend: p=0.17). The HR for DFS was 0.79 (95% CI 0.71–0.87) for the young, 0.76 (95% 0.62–0.93) for the mid category and 0.94 (95% CI 0.73–1.22) for the elderly patients (test for trend: p=0.35). More elderly patients died from non- lung cancer related causes (10% young, 16% mid category and 20% elderly; p<0.0001). Conclusions: The survival benefit from cisplatin-based adjuvant therapy for NSCLC patients was not significantly different according to age, but this may be due to lack of power. Supported by unrestricted grants from PHRC and LNCC No significant financial relationships to disclose.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e14174-e14174
Author(s):  
Betul Erismis ◽  
Nadire Kucukoztas ◽  
Samed Rahatli ◽  
Selim Yalcin ◽  
Omer Dizdar ◽  
...  

e14174 Background: Incidence of colon cancer increases with age and generally is diagnosed at the age of between 60-75. Because of comorbidities in elderly patients who are older 70 years of age, lower doses of adjuvant or metastatic therapy is given them or the other option can be the chemotherapeutics which had less side effects. Methods: We aim to identify clinical and pathological characteristics of elderly colorectal cancer patients over 70 years of age who were followed at Baskent University Hospital and compare with CRC patients under the 50 years of age. Results: 182 CRC patients were assigned to the study who were followed between 1998-2011. We classified the patients into two categories according to the age. 91 participants were over 70 years of age and 91 participants were under 50 years of age. There were no significant differences between two groups for gender and percentage of patients having surgery (p=0.65/0.732). History of having systemic disease was significantly higher in the elderly group (p<0.001). Adjvuvant chemotherapy was given to the 38 (53.5%) patients aged over 70 and 66 (91.7%) patients aged under 50 (p<0.001). We compared the both groups for progression free and overall survival time for all stages. However, there were no statistically significant differences between two groups. Conclusions: Our study confirms that elderly CRC patients get benefit from the adjuvant chemotherapy treatment as the same as patients under 50 years of age. Therefore, physcians should consider about performance status and systemic disease in elderly patients and give an individual treatment to them.


1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 2412-2412 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Popescu ◽  
A. Norman ◽  
P. J. Ross ◽  
B. Parikh ◽  
D. Cunningham

PURPOSE: The surgical treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) in elderly patients (age 70 years or older) has improved, but data on adjuvant and palliative chemotherapy tolerability and benefits in this growing population remain scarce. Elderly patients are underrepresented in clinical trials, and results for older patients are seldom reported separately. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using a prospective database, we analyzed demographics, chemotherapy toxicity, response rates, failure-free survival (FFS), and overall survival (OS) of CRC patients receiving chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital. The cutoff age was 70 years. RESULTS: A total of 844 patients received first-line chemotherapy with various fluorouracil (5-FU)-containing regimens or raltitrexed for advanced disease, and 543 patients were administered adjuvant, protracted venous infusion 5-FU or bolus 5-FU/folinic acid (FA) chemotherapy. Of the 1,387 patients, 310 were 70 years or older. There was no difference in overall or severe (Common Toxicity Criteria III to IV) toxicity between the two age groups, with the exception of more frequent severe mucositis in older patients receiving adjuvant bolus 5-FU/FA. For patients receiving palliative chemotherapy, no difference in response rates (24% v 29%, P = .19) and median FFS (164 v 168 days) were detected when the elderly were compared with younger patients. Median OS was 292 days for the elderly group and 350 days for the younger patients (P = .04), and 1-year survival was 44% and 48%, respectively. The length of inpatient hospital stay was identical. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with good performance status tolerated adjuvant and palliative chemotherapy for CRC as well as did younger patients and had similar benefits from palliative chemotherapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonino Catalano ◽  
Federica Bellone ◽  
Nunziata Morabito ◽  
Diego Chila ◽  
Saverio Loddo ◽  
...  

Abstract Electrolytes disturbances are commonly observed in clinical practice. However, magnesium (Mg) disorders are often poorly considered. Our primary aim was to update the prevalence and the incidence of hypomagnesemia and hypermagnesemia in a real-life scenario. The secondary aim was to investigate the association of Mg disturbances with age and gender. Data from patients whose Mg serum levels were measured between January 2015 and December 2017 at our University Hospital were recorded. Hypomagnesemia was defined by Mg levels &lt;1.5 mg/dL and hypermagnesemia by levels&gt; 3.8 mg/dL. Hypo and hypermagnesemia cases were considered according to age, gender, year of observation and setting of subjects including outpatients and inpatients. In particular, inpatients were recruited from a total of 25 Hospital Divisions (i.e. Cardiology, Endocrinology, Geriatrics, Hematology, Intensive Care, Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Neonatal Intensive Care, Neurology, Neuropsychiatry, Neuroradiology, Oncology, Pulmonology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Rheumatology and Surgical Area that included 8 Units). Over the observation period, we recognized 12,696 patients whose Mg levels were checked. Prevalences of hypomagnesemia and hypermagnesemia were 8.43% (n=1071) and 1.78% (n=226) respectively. Hypomagnesemia was encountered more frequently in female [53.3% (n=560)] rather than in male patients [47.7 % (n=511)] (χ2= 4.03, p&lt;0.045) and was significantly influenced by age: the higher prevalence of hypomagnesemia was found in patients over 65 yr. [59.01% (n=632)], whereas a lower prevalence was detected in the other age groups, specifically in 9.52 % (n=102) of patients aged 0-18 yr. and in 31.46 % (n=337) of patients between 19 and 65 yr. (χ2= 592.64; p&lt;0.0001). Incidence of hypomagnesemia decreased over time with a borderline significance only in subjects over 65 yr. (r=-0.99; p=0.07). Geriatrics, Oncology and Intensive Care Division showed the highest incidences of hypomagnesemia. The hypermagnesemia prevalence was observed higher in outpatients in comparison with inpatients from any other Hospital Division and the hypermagnesemia incidence did not significantly change over time (r=0.96; p=0.16). Mg disorders, mainly hypomagnesemia, are quite common in clinical practice particularly in older hospitalized patients. Among the other electrolytes’ disturbances, Mg disorders, because of life-threatening significances, may be checked and corrected.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15) ◽  
pp. 1813-1821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinead Cuffe ◽  
Christopher M. Booth ◽  
Yingwei Peng ◽  
Gail E. Darling ◽  
Gavin Li ◽  
...  

Purpose Non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is predominantly a disease of the elderly. Retrospective analyses of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group JBR.10 trial and the Lung Adjuvant Cisplatin Evaluation (LACE) meta-analysis suggest that the elderly benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. However, the elderly were under-represented in these studies, raising concerns regarding the reproducibility of the study results in clinical practice. Patients and Methods By using the Ontario Cancer Registry, we identified 6,304 patients with NSCLC who were treated with surgical resection from 2001 to 2006. Registry data were linked to electronic treatment records. Uptake of chemotherapy was compared across age groups: younger than 70, 70 to 74, 75 to 79, and ≥ 80 years. As a proxy of survival benefit from chemotherapy, we compared survival of patients diagnosed from 2004 to 2006 with survival of those diagnosed from 2001 to 2003. Hospitalization rates within 6 to 24 weeks of surgery served as a proxy of severe chemotherapy-related toxicity. Results In all, 2,763 (43.8%) of 6,304 surgical patients were elderly (age ≥ 70 years). Uptake of adjuvant chemotherapy in the elderly increased from 3.3% (2001 to 2003) to 16.2% (2004 to 2006). Among evaluable elderly patients, 70% received cisplatin and 28% received carboplatin-based regimens. Requirements for dose adjustments or drug substitutions were similar across age groups. Hospitalization rates within 6 to 24 weeks of surgery were similar across age groups (28.0% for patients age < 70 years; 27.8% for patients age ≥ 70 years; P = .54). Four-year survival of elderly patients increased significantly (47.1% for patients diagnosed from 2001 to 2003; 49.9% for patients diagnosed from 2004 to 2006; P = .01). Survival improved in all subgroups except patients age ≥ 80 years. Conclusion Uptake of adjuvant chemotherapy for NSCLC increased in patients age 70 years or older following reporting of pivotal adjuvant chemotherapy trials, but it remained below that for patients younger than age 70 years. Adoption of adjuvant chemotherapy appears to be associated with significant survival benefit in the elderly (age ≥ 70 years), with tolerability apparently similar to that of patients who are younger than age 70 years.


2021 ◽  
pp. 00393-2020
Author(s):  
Jonathan Pham ◽  
Matthew Conron ◽  
Gavin Wright ◽  
Paul Mitchell ◽  
David Ball ◽  
...  

BackgroundTreatment of elderly patients with lung cancer is significantly hindered by concerns about treatment tolerability, toxicity and limited clinical trial data in the elderly – potentially giving rise to treatment nihilism amongst clinicians. This study aims to describe survival in elderly patients with lung cancer and explore potential causes for excess mortality.MethodsPatients diagnosed with lung cancer in the Victorian Lung Cancer Registry between 2011–2018 were analysed (n=3481). Patients were age-categorised and compared using Cox-regression modelling to determine mortality risk, after adjusting for confounding. Probability of being offered cancer treatments was also determined, further stratified by disease stage.ResultsThe eldest patients (≥80 years old) had significantly shorter median survival compared to younger age groups (<60: 2.0 years; 60–69: 1.5 years; 70–79: 1.6 years; ≥80: 1.0 years; p<0.001). Amongst those diagnosed with stage 1 or 2 lung cancer, there was no significant difference in adjusted-mortality between age groups. However, in those diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 disease, the eldest patients had an increased adjusted-mortality risk of 28% compared to patients younger than 60 years (p=0.005), associated with markedly reduced probability of cancer treatment, after controlling for sex, performance status, comorbidities and histology type (OR 0.24, compared to <60 years old strata, p<0.001).ConclusionCompared to younger patients, older patients with advanced-stage lung cancer have a disproportionately higher risk of mortality and lower likelihood of receiving cancer treatments, even when performance status and comorbidity are equivalent. These healthcare inequities could be indicative of widespread treatment nihilism towards elderly patients.


Author(s):  
Gianpiero Fasola ◽  
Jessica Menis ◽  
Alessandro Follador ◽  
Elisa De Carlo ◽  
Francesca Valent ◽  
...  

Background:Non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis and treatment is a highly complex process, requiring managerial skills merged with clinical knowledge and experience. Integrated care pathways (ICPs) might be a good strategy to overview and improve patient's management. The aim of this study was to review the ICPs of NSCLC patients in a University Hospital and to identify areas of quality improvement.Materials and Methods:The electronic medical records of 169 NSCLC patients visited at the University Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Quality of care (QoC) has been measured trough fifteen indicators, selected according main international Guidelines and approved by the multi-disciplinary team for thoracic malignancies. Results have been compared with those of a similar retrospective study conducted at the same hospital in 2008.Results:A total of 146 patients were considered eligible. Eight of fifteen indicators were not in line with the benchmarks. We compared the results obtained in the two separate periods. Moreover, we process some proposal to be discussed with the general management of the hospital, aimed to redesign NSCLC care pathways.Conclusions:ICPs confirm to be feasible and to be an effective tool in real life. The periodic measurement of QoC indicators is necessary to ensure clinical governance of patients pathways.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Leuschner ◽  
Jens Klotsche ◽  
Michael Kreuter ◽  
Antje Prasse ◽  
Hubert Wirtz ◽  
...  

Background: An association between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and advancing age is suspected since IPF occurs primarily in patients over 60 years of age. Though, little is known about the disease in the elderly. The aim of this study was to characterize elderly IPF patients using data from the longitudinal, German-wide INSIGHTS-IPF registry.Methods: Patients were grouped into elderly (≥75 years) and nonelderly IPF (&lt;75 years) at the time of enrollment into the study. Baseline clinical characteristics, comorbidities, health related quality of life (HRQoL), medical therapy and survival were compared between age groups. Effects of antifibrotic therapy on forced vital capacity (FVC) were analyzed over 24 months.Results: Of 1,009 patients, 350 (34.7%) were ≥75 years old. Elderly IPF patients compared to younger patients had a higher number of comorbidities (3.6 ± 2.5 vs. 2.8 ± 2.3; p &lt; 0.001). The mean ± SD EQ-5D score (0.64 ± 0.21 vs. 0.69 ± 0.21; p = 0.005), and the overall WHO-5 score (13.1 ± 5.9 vs. 14.3 ± 6.0; p = 0.015) were significantly lower while the UCSD-SOBQ (52.6 ± 31.2 vs. 45.5 ± 31.2; p = 0.030) was significantly higher in elderly patients, indicating a more impaired HRQoL and more breathlessness. At baseline, 55.4% of elderly and 56.8% of nonelderly patients with IPF were treated with antifibrotic therapy (p = 0.687). For FVC decline after initiation of antifibrotic therapy, there was neither a significant difference between age groups at the different time points over 24 months (beta: 0.41; 95%-CI: −0.98 to 1.81; p = 0.563) nor over the whole course of time (beta: −0.05; 95%-CI: −0.20 to 0.09; p = 0.478). All-cause mortality was higher in elderly patients (49.1 vs. 37.9%; HR 1.65; 95%-CI 1.36–2.00; p &lt; 0.001). Antifibrotic therapy was associated with improved survival in IPF patients, independent from age (&lt;75 years: beta 0.76; 95%-CI: 0.59–0.99; p = 0.049; ≥75 years: beta 0.71; 95%-CI: 0.51–0.98; p = 0.043).Conclusion: In real life, a significant proportion of IPF patients are ≥75 years old, characterized by higher number of comorbidities and global reduced HRQoL. However, the effect of an antifibrotic therapy was similar between age groups and associated with a survival benefit emphasizing the importance for an early antifibrotic therapy in IPF, independent from age.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-238
Author(s):  
Monica Verdoia ◽  
Gennaro Galasso ◽  
Pasquale Perrone Filardi ◽  
Giuseppe De Luca

Elderly patients represent a rising social problem, due to the exponential growth of persons in these age groups and their atherothrombotic burden. The management of this population still raises several challenges, requiring a balance between elevated cardiovascular risk, clinical complexity, frailty and co-morbidities. </P><P> Statins represent the main pillar in cardiovascular prevention, lowering serum cholesterol and reducing mortality and ischemic events, especially in high-risk patients. Yet, elderly patients have often been excluded from major clinical trials of statins, thus limiting the experience with these drugs in advanced age. Moreover, important barriers to the use of statins in the elderly exist due to potential risks attributed to altered metabolism, comorbidities, polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions and financial constraints. This situation has led to a “statin paradox”, since high-risk elderly patients, that would most benefit from the use of statins, may be undertreated with these drugs in real life. </P><P> The vague indications provided by guidelines mean that this issue is still debated, especially regarding primary prevention. Nevertheless, the benefits in outcome offered by statins cannot be neglected. Efforts should be made in order to focus on the importance of statin use in the elderly and to provide clinicians with adequate tools for case by case decisions.


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