General Information - Overview
NSCLC
in the Elderly (The Oncologist)
by Paris Makrantonakis, et al.
v.9, no.5 The Oncologist (Sept. 2004): 556-560
Review article summarizing recent research regarding treatment of
elderly patients with NSCLC. Published studies have provided strong evidence
of improved progression-free survival, overall survival and quality of
life in elderly patients with appropriately treated NSCLC. In deciding
treatment strategies for elderly patients, the biological rather than
the chronological age should be carefully assessed, and treatment should
only be modified or withheld for very good reason. [9/04]
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]
Pharmacologic
Pain Management in the Elderly Cancer Patient (Medscape)
Summary, by Patricia M. Clark, MSN, from the 26th Congress of the Oncology
Nursing Society, of the session on "Pharmacologic Pain Management in the
Elderly Cancer Patient." Topics addressed include: the problem of pain
in the elderly, barriers to pain control in the elderly cancer patient,
influence of age on pain assessment, cognition in the elderly, and choosing
medical interventions for pain control in the elderly. Aimed at health
care professionals. Registration required for for free access to Medscape.
[5/01]
Chemotherapy in the Elderly NSCLC Patient
Chemotherapy
Options for the Elderly Patient with Advanced NSCLC (The
Oncologist)
by BT Hennessy, EO Hanrahan, OS Breathnach
v. 8, no.3 The Oncologist (June 2003): 270-277
Notes that subgroup analyses from large randomized Phase III trials suggest
that elderly patients with good performance statuses do as well as younger
patients treated with combination chemotherapy. Single agent vinorelbine
(Navelbine) has been shown to have significant activity in elderly patients
with NSCLC and to be well tolerated by those patients with good performance
statuses, with associated improvements in measures of health. [6/03]
Chemotherapy
& the Elderly NSCLC Patient - Recent MEDLINE Abstracts
(PubMed)
Pharmacology
of Chemotherapy in the Older Cancer Patient
by Lodovico Balducci, MD and Claudia Beghe, MD
v. 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 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. [10/99]
Radiation Therapy in the Elderly NSCLC Patient
Radiation
Therapy & the Elderly NSCLC Patient - Recent MEDLINE Abstracts
(PubMed)
High-dose
Radiation Therapy for Elderly Patients with Inoperable or Unresectable
NSCLC (PubMed)
Study results reported in the April 2001 issue of Lung Cancer
indicate that definitive radiation therapy is recommended to the elderly
aged 75 years or older with inoperable or unresectable NSCLC, especially
early stage disease, as an acceptable choice of treatment. [4/01]
Curative
Treatment by Radiation Therapy Alone of Stage 1 NSCLC in a Geriatric Population
(PubMed)
Large retrospective review reported in the April 2001 issue of Lung
Cancer concludes that radical radiation therapy with curative intent
may be a viable alternative to surgery in those elderly patients who either
refuse surgery or are judged to be unfit for operation. [4/01]
Surgery in the Elderly NSCLC Patient
Surgery
& the Elderly NSCLC Patient - Recent MEDLINE Abstracts
(PubMed)
Case Studies - Elderly NSCLC
Patients
Therapeutic
Options for an Elderly Woman with Metastatic NSCLC (Medscape)
Corey Langer, MD, recommends treatment options for a 74 year old
female with a history of heavy smoking who presents with metastatic NSCLC.
[4/04]
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