Background: Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. The number of elderly lung cancer patients is expected to rapidly increase. Therefore, the management of elderly lung cancer patients is becoming a major challenge in the field of oncology. This study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of weekly paclitaxel (PTX) and cisplatin (DDP) as the first-line chemotherapy on advanced NSCLC patients of more than 70 years old.
Methods: Fifty chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced NSCLC more than 70 years old were administrated weekly paclitaxel and pisplatin regiment: PTX 80 mg/m(2) intravenous infusion for 1 h, d1, d8 (given routine premedications before PTX), DDP 20 mg/m(2) intravenous infusion, d1, d8, every 21 days.
Results: Total 50 patients were enrolled, and 48 patients were evaluable for response. The ORR (overall response rate) was 39.6%; median survival time (MST) was 14.8 months; One year survival rate was 58.3%. Most common adverse events were leucopenia (60%), anemia (62%), nausea and vomiting (30%), alopecia (100%). There were no chemotherapy-related deaths.
Conclusions: The patients of advanced NSCLC more than 70 years old can tolerate weekly paclitaxel and cisplatin and can get benefit from this regiment.