![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
How do oncologists choose therapy for the elderly? Oncologists assigned patients aged 65 years or older with incurable non-small cell lung cancer to: (a) carboplatin (AUC = 2) + paclitaxel 50 mg/m2 days 1, 8, 15 (28-day cycle × 4) followed by gefitinib; or (b) gefitinib 250 mg/day. With (a), 12 of 34 were progression-free at 6 months; median time to cancer progression was 3.9 months. With (b), the same occurred in 11 of 28 patients with the latter being 4.9 months. The most common reason for conventional chemotherapy was oncologists’ opinion that the cancer was aggressive, and for gefitinib alone, patients’ reluctance to receive chemotherapy. Interestingly, age had no influence.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Additional participating institutions include Altru Health Systems, Grand Forks, ND 58201, USA (Todor Dentchev, M.D.); Siouxland Hematology-Oncology Associates, Sioux City, IA 51105, USA (John C. Michalak, M.D.); Cedar Rapids Oncology Project CCOP, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403, USA (Martin Wiesenfeld, M.D.); CentraCare Clinic, St. Cloud, MN 56301, USA (Donald Jurgens, M.D.); Hematology & Oncology of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45415, USA (Howard M. Gross, M.D.); Medcenter One Health Systems, Bismarck, ND 58506, USA (Edward J. Wos, D.O., & John T. Reynolds, M.D.); Geisinger Clinic and Medical Center CCOP, Danville, PA 17822, USA (Albert M. Bernath, Jr, M.D.); Illinois Oncology Research Assn. CCOP, Peoria, IL 61615–7828, USA (John W. Kugler, M.D.); Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ 85259–5404, USA (Tom R. Fitch, M.D.); Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, MN 55407, USA (Daniel M. Anderson, M.D.); Saskatchewan Cancer Foundation, Saskatoon Cancer Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 4H4, Canada; and Allan Blair Cancer Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan S4T 7T1, Canada (Muhammad Salim, M.D.).