e19073 Background: More than 50% of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are diagnosed in patients older than age 65 years. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy has been used in patients with advanced NSCLC as standard treatment, and we investigated the efficacy and safety of combination chemotherapy with docetaxel and carboplatin for elderly patients with advanced non- small cell lung cancer. Methods: Chemotherapy-naïve patients (age ≥ 65 years) with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC were enrolled. Patients received docetaxel (75 mg/m2 on D1) and carboplatin (AUC of 5 mg/ml/min on D1) every 3 weeks. End points included response, time to progression, overall survival, and toxicity. Results: Total 37 patients were enrolled between March 2005 and August 2008. Median age was 75 years old (range, 65 to 84 years), and 33 patients (89.2%) had ECOG PS 0 or 1. Twenty two patients (59.5%) had increased Charlson comorbidity index score (CCI ≥1). The median number of treatment cycles was five (range, 1–8), and relative dose intensity was 95.6% in docetaxel and 95.8% in carboplatin. Overall response rate was 51.3% (95% CI 34.9–67.1) with one complete response, and 18 partial responses. The median time to progression was 6.7 months and median overall survival was 12.3 months. In 164 cycles, grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicities included neutropenia (10.4%), anemia (1.8%), and thrombocytopenia (1.2%). Non-hematologic toxicities were tolerable. Conclusions: The combination chemotherapy with docetaxel and carboplatin was effective with tolerable toxicities in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
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