ESTRO 37: Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Older Patients With Lung Cancer
Posted: Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Patients with non–small cell lung cancer older than age 75 seem to be less likely to benefit from concurrent chemoradiotherapy than younger patients, according to a phase II study. Judith van Loon, MD, PhD, of the Maastricht Radiation Oncology Clinic in The Netherlands, presented these results the 2018 European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology (ESTRO) 37 Conference in Barcelona (Abstract PV0039).
“These findings underscore the need for prospective studies that incorporate geriatric assessment in this understudied group of elderly cancer patients,” Dr. van Loon said in an ESTRO news release. “We should look not only at the chance of cure but also quality of life and patient-reported outcome measures.”
Of the 300 patients studied between May 2009 and April 2012, 76 were aged 75 or older. These patients were treated with radiotherapy alone (39%), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (32%), or sequential chemoradiotherapy (29%). According to the study, the average overall survival for the older patients was 15.5 months compared with 19.8 months for the younger patients after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. After 5 years, 13.2% of elderly patients were alive versus 24.1% of younger patients.
“A multicenter trial is currently investigating the value of a geriatric assessment in elderly patients with locally advanced lung cancer,” said Dr. van Loon. “Results from this trial are expected in 2022.”
