Seventeen elderly patients with advanced progressive non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with oral etoposide at the daily dose of 100 mg for 14 days every 3-4 weeks with pharmacokinetic monitoring. One partial response and 6 stabilizations were documented with a median overall duration of 13 weeks (range 8-32). The median survival was 24 weeks with an apparent advantage for non-progressive patients (40 weeks vs. 18 weeks). The treatment was well tolerated especially by those patients without concomitant illness, suggesting the crucial role of a careful selection of the geriatric population. Toxicity was not related to the etoposide plasma level, but was clearly dependent on comorbidity. A geriatric assessment rather than chronological age therefore appears to be more reliable in the selection of elderly patients for clinical trials. The easy self-management, favorable toxicity profile and synergy with other compounds makes oral etoposide suitable for further clinical- pharmacological studies in elderly patients. © E.S.I.F.T. srl - Firenze.
Titolo: | Oral etoposide in elderly patients with advanced non small cell lung cancer: a clinical and pharmacological study | |
Autori interni: | ||
Data di pubblicazione: | 2006 | |
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Handle: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/6451 | |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.1 Articolo in rivista |