Short-term chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy for elderly patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer: a...

Optimal treatment in elderly (> 70 years) with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not known. In order to define it, concurrent short-term chemotherapy (CHT) and palliative radiotherapy (RT) was evaluated in this patient population. Between January 1988 and June 1993, a total of 50 patients entered into a study that used two cycles of carboplatin (CBDCA), 300 mg/m2, days 1 and 29 and oral etoposide, 50 mg/m2, days 1-21 and 29-42. RT was administered with dose of 14 Gy in two fractions given with 1 week split, days 1 and 8. Of 47 patients evaluable for the response, there were three (6%) complete response (CR), and ten (21%) partial response (PR), making the overall response rate of 13 (28%). Response duration ranged 2-8 months (median, 5 months; mean, 5 months). Median survival time (MST) for all 50 patients was 7 months and 1-3 year survival rates were 31, 4.1, and 2%, respectively. There were only nine (19%) patients experiencing hematological grade 3 toxicity, all other CHT-induced toxicity being grade 1 or 2. Of RT-induced high-grade toxicity, grade 3 esophageal was observed in nine (19%) patients while only four (9%) patients experienced grade 3 bronchopulmonary toxicity. No grade 4 or 5 toxicity occurred during this study. Short-course CHT and palliative RT in elderly patients with stage IV NSCLC was well tolerated with mild to moderate toxicity. Together with results obtained this way, they warrant further studies evaluating the effectiveness of this approach and possible CHT- and/or RT-dose escalation in elderly patients with stage IV NSCLC.