The evaluation of chemotherapy for patients over eighty-years-old

Purpose: We investigated the effect and safety of chemotherapy for patients over eighty-year-old. Object: Ten patients with advanced or recurrent pancreas or biliary tract cancer who were over 80 years old and administered gemcitabine hydrochloride (GEM), were named as "the oldest group", and compared with the control group. Result: The overall response rate was 22.2% without a significant difference between those 2 groups. The mean duration of treatment and the mean period from the initial chemotherapy to death were 8.0 and 12 months, respectively, without a significant difference. There was a higher incidence of initial reduction of GEM in the oldest group. There was no significant difference at the DI ratio (actual drug intensity/ideal drug intensity) between 2 groups. Side effects found were 5 cases of neutropenia, 4 cases of anemia and appetite loss greater than grade 3. The dropout ratio (50%) in the oldest group was significantly higher. There was no death related with chemotherapy. Conclusion: Chemotherapy can be used safely and usefully, if appropriately reduced from first administration, for a patient over eighty years old.