Safety and outcome of definitive chemoradiotherapy in elderly patients with oesophageal cancer
2008

Chemoradiotherapy in Elderly Patients with Oesophageal Cancer

Sample size: 109 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Tougeron D, Di Fiore F, Thureau S, Berbera N, Iwanicki-Caron I, Hamidou H, Paillot B, Michel P

Primary Institution: Rouen University Hospital

Hypothesis

The study aims to evaluate the tolerance and outcome of elderly patients older than 70 years treated with chemoradiotherapy for non-metastatic oesophageal cancer.

Conclusion

Chemoradiotherapy could be considered an effective treatment without major toxicity in elderly patients with oesophageal cancer.

Supporting Evidence

  • A clinical complete response was observed in 63 patients (57.8%).
  • Two-year survival rate was 35.5%.
  • Adverse events grade 3 or higher were observed in 26 patients (23.8%).
  • Chemotherapy dose reduction was necessary in 33 patients (30.3%).
  • Median overall survival was 15.2 months.

Takeaway

Doctors studied how well older people handle a specific cancer treatment and found it works well without causing too many problems.

Methodology

The study included consecutive patients over 70 years with non-metastatic oesophageal cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy, evaluating clinical complete response and survival rates.

Potential Biases

Potential selection bias as the study included only patients treated at a single institution.

Limitations

The study is retrospective and may not reflect outcomes in a broader population due to selection bias.

Participant Demographics

Patients were aged 70 to 88 years, with a mean age of 74.4 years; 34.9% were over 75 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

P<0.01

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 30.8–40.2

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/sj.bjc.6604749

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