老年者肺小細胞癌の化学療法に関する研究

To assess the progress and limitation of chemotherapy in the treatment of small cell lung cancer in the elderly, we analyzed 218 patients in a protocol study between 1982 and 1990. There were 101 elderly patients (age of ≧ 66 years) and 117 non-elderly patients (age of ≦ 65 years). Response to chemotherapy with or without chest irradiation was similar for the elderly and the non-elderly; the complete response rate was 52% for limited disease (LD) and 33% for extensive disease (ED) in the elderly, and it was 68% for LD and 23% for ED in the non-elderly. Survival figures of the two groups were similar; the median survival time was 12.6 monthes for the elderly and 14.5 months for the non-elderly, and the 3-year surival rate was 14% for both groups. Hematologic toxicity was more frequent and severe in the elderly than in the non-elderly but the difference was not significant. Non-hematologic toxicity was comparable for the two groups, with an exception that the elderly showed a tendency of being predisposed to renal toxicity. In conclusion, elderly patients eligible for entry into a protocol study can benefit from intensive treatment just as younger patients can.