Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Prognostic factors in 408 elderly lung cancer patients over 70 years old

  • Published:
The Chinese-German Journal of Clinical Oncology

Abstract

Objective

The incidence and mortality of lung cancer in people over 70 years were increased in the past 10 years. We defined age 70 years as boundary line of the elderly patients in lung cancer and analyzed and identified the factors affecting prognosis.

Methods

A retrospective study had enrolled 408 cases of lung cancer aged over 70 years old and SPSS13.0 software was used in univariate analysis and COX regression analysis to analyze factors affecting prognosis, such as gender, age, complications, symptoms, pathological type, clinical stage, effusion, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and so on.

Results

In univariate analysis, symptoms, stage, effusion, surgery, chemotherapy and chemotherapy cycles showed affecting prognosis significantly. In COX regression analysis, it showed that clinical stage (P = 0.000), surgery (P = 0.013), chemotherapy cycles (P = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors.

Conclusion

Elderly lung cancer patients could be benefit from surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy while early stage. At late stage, their survival time may be prolonged when receive chemotherapy at least 4 cycles. Single-agent chemotherapy would be a good choice for elderly lung cancer. Effusion, particularly, pericardial effusion significantly influenced the prognosis, so that it should be effectively controlled.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wingo PA, Cardinez CJ, Landis SH, et al. Long-term trends in cancer mortality in the United States, 1930–1998. Cancer, 2003, 97: 3133–3275. Cancer, 2003, 97: 3133–3275.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Gridelli C. Does chemotherapy have a role as palliative therapy for unfit or elderly patients with non-small-cell lung cancer? Lung Cancer, 2002, 38: S45–S50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Professional Committee of Chinese Anti-Cancer Association of lung cancer. 2010 China Clinical Guide to lung cancer. Beijing: People’s Health Publishing House, 2010. 7.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Meriggi F, Zaniboni A. Non-small-cell lung cancer in the elderly. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol, 2006, 57: 183–190.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Langer CJ, Manola J, Bernardo P, et al. Cisplatin-based therapy for elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: implications of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 5592, a randomized trial. J Natl Cancer Inst, 2002, 94: 173–181.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Wakelee HA, Wang W, Schiller JH, et al. Survival differences by sex for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer on Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group trial 1594. J Thorac Oncol, 2006, 1: 441–446. J Thorac Oncol, 2006, 1: 441–446.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Belani CP, Fossella F. Elderly subgroup analysis of a randomized phase III study of docetaxel plus platinum combinations versus vinorelbine plus cisplatin for first-line treatment of advanced nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (TAX 326). Cancer, 2005, 104: 2766–2774.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Chansky K, Sculier JP, Crowley JJ, et al. The international association for the study of lung cancer staging project. Prognostic factors and pathologic TNM stage in surgically managed non-small cell lung cancer. Chin J Lung Cancer (Chinese), 2010, 13: 9–18.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kefeli U, Kaya S, Ustaalioglu BO, et al. Prognostic factors in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a two-center experience. Med Oncol, 2011, 28: 661–666.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Zhang ZJ, Cheng G, Sun JK, et al. Survival analysis of non-small cell lung cancer in patients aged 70 and over. Chin J Lung (Chinese), 2008, 11: 231–235.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Detterbeck FC, Boffa DJ, Tanoue LT. The new lung cancer staging system. Chest, 2009, 136: 260–271.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Gornik HL, Gerhard-Herman M, Beckman JA. Abnormal cytology predicts poor prognosis in cancer patients with pericardial effusion. J Clin Oncol, 2005, 23: 5211–5216.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Holdener EE, Ryser DH, Schaermeli K, et al. Malignant pericardial effusion-a sign of unfavorable prognosis? Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1986, 116: 366–370.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Chen YM, Perng RP, Shih JF, et al. A phase II randomized study of vinorelbine alone or with cisplatin against chemo-naïve inoperable non-small cell lung cancer in the elderly. Lung Cancer, 2008, 61: 214–219.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lou GY, Li T, Gu CP, et al. Efficacy study of single-agent gemcitabine versus gemcitabine plus carboplatin in untreated elderly patients with stage IIIb/IV non-small-cell lung cancer. Natl Med J Chin (Chinese), 2010, 90: 100–102.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Camerini A, Valsuani C, Mazzoni F, et al. Phase II trial of single-agent oral vinorelbine in elderly (> or =70 years) patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and poor performance status. Ann Oncol, 2010, 21: 1290–1295.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Quoix E, Breton JL, Ducoloné A, et al. First line chemotherapy with gemcitabine in advanced non-small cell lung cancer elderly patients: a randomized phase II study of 3-week versus 4-week schedule. Lung Cancer, 2005, 47: 405–412.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Rossi D, Dennetta D, Ugolini M, et al. Weekly paclitaxel in elderly patients (aged > or = 70 years) with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: an alternative choice? Results of a phase II study. Clin Lung Cancer, 2008, 9: 280–284.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Malani AK, Abou-Jawde RM, Singh J, et al. Docetaxel as monotherapy in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in elderly patients. J Clin Oncol, 2007, 25: 1143–1144.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Cai Y, Xie X, Li M. Clinical observation of docetaxel in treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer in the elderly patients. Chinese-German J Clin Oncol, 2010, 9: 201–203.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Weiss GJ, Langer C, Rosell R, et al. Elderly patients benefit from second- line cytotoxic chemotherapy: a subset analysis of a randomized phase III trial of pemetrexed compared with docetaxel in patients with previously treated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol, 2006, 4: 4405–4444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Leong SS, Toh CK, Lim WT, et al. A randomized phase II trial of single-agent gemcitabine, vinorelbine, or docetaxel in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who have poor performance status and/or are elderly. J Thorac Oncol, 2007, 2: 230–236.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Quoix EA, Oster J, Westeel V, et al. Weekly paclitaxel combined with monthly carboplatin versus single-agent therapy in patients age 70 to 23. 89: IFCT-0501 randomized phase III study in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). J Clin Oncol, 2010 (Suppl: abstr 2), 28: 18s.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Department, Beijing Chest Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China

    Hua Zheng, Ying Hu, Hongmei Zhang & Baolan Li

  2. Department of Oncology, Beijing Chest Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China

    Li Tong & Weihua Wu

Authors
  1. Hua Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Li Tong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ying Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Weihua Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hongmei Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Baolan Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Hua Zheng or Baolan Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zheng, H., Tong, L., Hu, Y. et al. Prognostic factors in 408 elderly lung cancer patients over 70 years old. Chin. -Ger. J. Clin. Oncol. 11, 699–704 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10330-012-1016-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10330-012-1016-7

Key words

Search

Navigation