Effective treatment of anal cancer in the elderly with low-dose chemoradiotherapy
Author Information
Author(s): Charnley N, Choudhury A, Chesser P, Cooper R A, Sebag-Montefiore D
Primary Institution: Leeds Cancer Centre, Cookridge Hospital
Hypothesis
Can a modified low-dose chemoradiotherapy regimen effectively treat frail elderly patients with anal cancer?
Conclusion
The modified low-dose chemoradiotherapy regimen was well tolerated and achieved high rates of local control and survival in elderly patients with anal cancer.
Supporting Evidence
- All 16 patients completed treatment as planned.
- Only one patient experienced any grade 3 toxicity.
- The local control rate at a median follow-up of 16 months was 73%.
- The overall survival rate was 69% and disease-specific survival was 86%.
Takeaway
Doctors found a way to treat older patients with anal cancer using less medicine, and it worked well without making them very sick.
Methodology
Patients received 30 Gy of radiation and concurrent chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil over 15 fractions.
Limitations
The follow-up period was relatively short, and the study involved a small sample size.
Participant Demographics
Median age was 81 years, with a range of 77 to 91; 37% were male.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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