Chemotherapy for Elderly Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Graziano F, Santini D, Testa E, Catalano V, Beretta G D, Mosconi S, Tonini G, Lai V, Labianca R, Cascinu S
Hypothesis
The omission of anthracycline in the chemotherapy regimen could reduce neutropenia and improve tolerability for elderly patients.
Conclusion
The weekly combination of cisplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin showed promising results and was safely administered to nonfrail elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer.
Supporting Evidence
- 58 patients were enrolled in the study.
- The overall response rate was 43%, with five complete responses.
- The median time to disease progression was 5.3 months.
- The median survival time was 8.6 months.
- Toxicity was generally mild, with fatigue being the most common side effect.
Takeaway
Doctors tested a new chemotherapy treatment for older people with stomach cancer, and it worked well without causing too many side effects.
Methodology
Patients older than 65 with advanced gastric cancer received a weekly regimen of cisplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin, with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to strict eligibility criteria may limit generalizability.
Limitations
The study excluded frail elderly patients and did not assess quality of life or clinical benefit.
Participant Demographics
58 patients, median age 76 years, 31 males and 27 females.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 30–56%
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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