[Comparison between single-agent and platinum-doublet chemotherapy in elderly patients with non-small cell lung...

The standard therapy for young patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is platinum doublet therapy, whereas that for elderly patients with NSCLC is single-agent therapy. However, there is limited information about the platinum-based treatment for elderly patients.

The aim of this study is to examine the efficacy and safety of platinum-doublet therapy for elderly patients, retrospectively.

There were 76 patients 75 years old or more with advanced NSCLC for whom chemotherapy was performed between June, 2008 and January, 2005. Among them, 65 patients except for 11 who underwent first-line gefitinib therapy were retrospectively reviewed.

Median age: 77 years old (range 75-83 years old), gender: male/female; 51/14, stage: III B/ IV ; 15/50, pathology: adeno/squamous/other; 41/13/11, PS: 0/1/2; 14/44/7 patients. Fifty-three patients received single-agent (S), whereas 12 patients received platinum-doublet (D). Even in the analysis of patients with PS 0-1, similar results were obtained. Progression-free survival (PFS)was 107 versus 85 days, and overall survival(OS)was 270 versus 262 days between S and D, in patients with PS 0-1. In addition, we did not recognize a large difference in toxicity between S and D.

In this examination, we could not show a large difference in efficacy and toxicity between platinum-doublet therapy and single-agent therapy. Further study would be needed to confirm our results.