[Tolerability of Definitive Chemoradiotherapy in Elderly Patients with Esophageal Cancer]

Definitive chemoradiotherapy(CRT)for esophageal cancer is the standard treatment and alternative to surgery. However, the tolerability of CRT in elderly patients is not well known. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 60 patients with esophageal cancer who were treated with CRT(5-FU 700 mg/m2, cisplatin 70 mg/m2, radiation 60 Gy)at our hospital between January 2015 and September 2017. The patients were divided into 2 groups: an elderly group comprising 16 patients aged >75 years and a non-elderly group comprising 44 patients aged <74 years. The relative dose intensity of cisplatin in the elderly group was significantly lower than that in the non-elderly group. Radiotherapy was successfully executed in both groups. More patients in the elderly(25%)than the non-elderly group(7%)developed pneumonitis, and all patients who developed severe pneumonitis in the elderly group died. Application of definitive CRT and irradiation methods in elderly patients with a subpleural reticular shadow should be carefully considered before initiating therapy.