Treatment of the Elderly SCLC Patient

Chemotherapy in the Elderly SCLC Patient - Recent MEDLINE Abstracts (PubMed)

Chemotherapy for SCLC in Patients Over 80 Years Old (PubMed)
Abstract of a small study reported in the November/December issue of Anticancer Research that found that chemotherapy improved the quality of life for patients over 80 years old, although survival may not be prolonged significantly. [12/02]

Management of Lung Cancer in Older Adults (American Cancer Society)
by Arti Hurria, MD, and Mark G. Kris, MD
v.53 CA Cancer J Clin (2003): 325-341
Comprehensive discussion of the management of lung cancer in older patients. Reviews the available data regarding surgery, radiation and systemic treatment for older patients and considers the role of geriatric assessment in the evaluation of older patients. Argues that age is not a significant prognostic factor for overall survival and response to treatment for patients with lung cancer. Aimed at health care professionals. See also the Editorial by Lodovico Balducci, MD, in the same issue: "Lung Cancer in the Elderly." [2003]

Pharmacology of Chemotherapy in the Older Cancer Patient
by Lodovico Balducci, MD and Claudia Beghe, MD
6, no.5 Cancer Control Journal (Sept./Oct. 1999)
Aimed at physicians, this article discusses individualized management of the older cancer patient within the context of a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Reviews factors that affect treatment decisions, including estimates of the extent of treatment toxicity, the impact of treatment on quality of life, estimates of life expectancy, and the influence of age on pharmacokinetic parameters. Stresses that the treatment can be made safer and more effective in this population by adjusting chemotherapy dosage, maintaining hemoglobin levels, and using hemopoietic growth factors when appropriate. [10/00]