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Gironés et al. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2016;2:379-87 Journal of
DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2016.20
Cancer Metastasis and Treatment

www.jcmtjournal.com
Original Article Open Access

Do elderly NSCLC stage IV patients benefit

from chemotherapy as well as younger?

An analysis from clinical practice date

Regina Gironés, Pedro López, Rebeca Chulvi, Mamen Cañabate

Medical Oncology Unit, Lluís Alcanyís Hospital, 46800 Xàtiva, Spain.
Correspondence to: Dr. Regina Gironés, Medical Oncology Unit, Lluís Alcanyís Hospital, Crta Xàtiva a Silla km 2, 46800 Xàtiva, Valencia, Spain.
E-mail: girones_reg@gva.es
How to cite this article: Gironés R, López P, Chulvi R, Cañabate M. Do elderly NSCLC stage IV patients benefit from chemotherapy as well as
younger? An analysis from clinical practice date. J Cancer Metasta Treat 2016;2:379-87.

Dr. Regina Gironés works at regional academic hospital named Lluis Alcanyís in Xàtiva, Valencia, Spain since 2004.
Her Medicine Graduate has been undertaken in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Valencia (1992-1998);
Doctor’s degree the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She works in oncogeriatrics since 2004, and had become
a SIOG member in 2007. She publishes her articles at Critical Review Oncology Hematology, Journal of Geriatric
Oncology, Lung cancer and Clinical Translational Oncology, among others.

ABSTRACT
Article history: Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of treatment related to age in
Received: 21-04-2016 metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We compared young and elders (> 70)
Accepted: 19-07-2016 in the setting of a regional Spanish hospital. We hypothesized that elder benefit as much
Published: 30-09-2016 as younger patients from chemotherapy in stage IV NSCLC. The study was limited to
performance status 0-2. Methods: Clinical and demographic characteristics were reviewed
Key words: form medical records. Type of treatment was collected and compared, as well as benefit from
Non-small cell lung cancer, treatment, in terms of overall survival. Results: 322 patients (162 young, 160 aged) Elderly
elderly, patients received less active treatment (63% vs. 86%, P = 0.001). Elderly received less
chemotherapy, chemotherapy, less cisplatin-doublets, more carboplatin-combinations and monotherapy
overall survival, (P = 0.035). The benefits of treatment were similar, regardless of age. Smoking status
smoking habits, demonstrated a prognosis impact for elder patients treated with chemotherapy. Those who
platinum-combinations remained active smokers had a lower overall survival in the aged group. In a multivariate
analysis, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, active treatment and non-smoking
history were favorable prognostic factors for elder patients. Smoking had not impact
on young patients. Conclusion: Elderly patients were undertreated in clinical practice.
Treatment showed similar overall survival despite of age. The impact of smoking seems to
be more significant in the elderly population.

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