Safety and outcome of chemoradiotherapy in elderly patients with rectal cancer: results from two French tertiary centres

Dig Liver Dis. 2012 Apr;44(4):350-4. doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2011.10.017. Epub 2011 Nov 25.

Abstract

Background: The risks of chemoradiotherapy in elderly patients with rectal cancer have not yet been well-characterised.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients with rectal cancer over 70 years old who were treated with chemoradiotherapy in two French university hospitals.

Results: A total of 125 patients were evaluated. Mean age was 75.1 ± 4.1 years and ranged from 70 to 90 years. Adverse effects ≥ grade 2 were observed in 32% of the patients and adverse effects ≥ grade 3 in 15%. Dose reduction for toxicity was performed in 18% of the patients and chemoradiotherapy discontinuation was necessary in 9%. Postoperative morbidity was 16% with two treatment-related deaths. Two-year survival rate was 84%. No variables had any influence on treatment-related adverse events.

Conclusions: In selected elderly patients, chemoradiotherapy is well-tolerated, without any significant increase in adverse events, and the results are similar to those recorded in younger patients.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Capecitabine
  • Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant / adverse effects*
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives
  • Deoxycytidine / therapeutic use
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / analogs & derivatives
  • Fluorouracil / therapeutic use
  • France
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Leucovorin / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Organoplatinum Compounds / therapeutic use
  • Oxaliplatin
  • Rectal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Rectal Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tegafur / therapeutic use
  • Vitamin B Complex / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Organoplatinum Compounds
  • Oxaliplatin
  • Deoxycytidine
  • Vitamin B Complex
  • Tegafur
  • Capecitabine
  • Leucovorin
  • Fluorouracil