Compliance and Outcome of Elderly Patients Treated in the Concurrent Once-Daily Versus Twice-Daily Radiotherapy...

There is a lack of data on the efficacy and safety of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in elderly, limited-stage, patients with SCLC.

We compared outcomes of patients 70 years of age or older versus younger patients within the Concurrent Once-daily Versus twice-daily RadioTherapy (CONVERT) trial. Patients were randomized to receive 45 Gy/30 twice-daily fractions/19 days or 66 Gy/33 once-daily fractions/45 days concurrently with platinum-based chemotherapy. Overall survival and progression-free survival were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier methodology and Cox proportional hazards regression.

Of 547 patients randomized between April 2008 and November 2013, 57 did not receive protocol treatment and were excluded. Of the 490 patients included, 67 (14%) were 70 years of age or older (median age: 73 years; range: 70-82). Fewer older patients received the optimal number of radiotherapy fractions (73% versus 85%; p = 0.03); however, chemotherapy compliance was similar in both groups (p = 0.24). Neutropenia grade 3/4 occurred more frequently in the elderly (84% versus 70%; p = 0.02) but rates of neutropenic sepsis (4% versus 7%; p = 0.07) and death (3% versus 1.4%; p = 0.67) were similar in both groups. With a median follow-up of 46 months; median survival in the elderly versus younger groups was 29 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21-39) versus 30 months (95% CI: 26-35), respectively; (hazard ratio: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.84-1.59; p = 0.38). Median time to progression in the elderly versus younger groups was 18 months (95% CI: 13-31) versus 16 months (95% CI: 14-19), respectively (hazard ratio: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.76-1.41; p = 0.81).

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with modern radiotherapy techniques should be a treatment option for fit, older patients.