Utility of Comprehensive Cancer Genome Profiling Testing in Elderly Cancer Patients

Comprehensive cancer genome profiling (CGP) testing was approved in Japan in 2019, leading to increasing opportunities for CGP testing in elderly cancer patients. However, these patients may be unable to undergo treatment due to poor organ function. Therefore, we investigated the usefulness and challenges of CGP testing in elderly cancer patients.

Patients who underwent CGP testing at our hospital between December 2019 and November 2024 were eligible for inclusion in the study. The usefulness of the test was compared between elderly (age ≥75 years) and non-elderly patients.

Of the total 423 patients, 89 (21%) were elderly. In the comparison between elderly and non-elderly patients, insurance-approved drugs were available for 3 (3%) and 21 (6%) patients, respectively, and 2 elderly patients were unable to receive the drug due to poor general condition. There were 34 (38%) and 152 (46%) patients who were candidates for clinical trials, and 1 (3%) and 3 (2%) patients who participated in clinical trials, respectively, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups.

There was no difference in the rate of access to insurance-approved drugs or clinical trials between elderly and non-elderly cancer patients, which suggests that CGP testing is also useful in elderly patients. More effective drugs may help reduce unnecessary toxicity. As elderly patients may be at higher risk of being unable to receive treatment due to deterioration of their general condition, CGP testing should be performed early.