[Chemotherapy for elderly patients with colorectal cancer]

The number of elderly patients with colorectal cancer is increasing in Japan. Until recently, chemotherapy was not adapted for older patients. Today, older patients have opportunity to receive new regimen with newly developed agents and improvement of supportive therapy. UFT/leucovorin therapy has been shown to be as effective and equally tolerated in elderly patients as in younger patients. There is no difference between older and younger patients in efficacy and toxicity of FOLFOX 4 (oxaliplatin plus 5-FU and leucovorin) Bevacizumab with 5-FU and leucovorin is also tolerable and effective for elderly patients. It is necessary to evaluate the possibility of new molecular target agents for treatment for super-elderly patients (>80 years). Increasing cost of the new agents will pose economical problem to resolve specially for older population.