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Comparative outcomes of elderly and non‐elderly patients receiving first‐line palliative chemotherapy for advanced biliary tract cancer
Author(s) -
Kou Tadayuki,
Kanai Masashi,
Ikezawa Kenji,
Ajiki Tetsuo,
Tsukamoto Tadashi,
Toyokawa Hideyoshi,
Yazumi Shujiro,
Terajima Hiroaki,
Furuyama Hiroaki,
Nagano Hiroaki,
Ikai Iwao,
Kuroda Nobukazu,
Awane Masaaki,
Ochiai Toshiya,
Takemura Shigekazu,
Miyamoto Atsushi,
Kume Makoto,
Ogawa Masao,
Takeda Yutaka,
Taira Kaoru,
Ioka Tatsuya
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/jgh.12338
Subject(s) - medicine , chemotherapy , hazard ratio , biliary tract , cancer , biliary tract cancer , adverse effect , palliative care , confidence interval , surgery , gemcitabine , nursing
Background and Aim Few studies have reported the efficacy and safety of palliative chemotherapy in elderly patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. We aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of palliative chemotherapy for advanced biliary tract cancer in elderly patients. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 403 consecutive patients who received palliative chemotherapy between A pril 2006 and M arch 2009 for pathologically confirmed unresectable or recurrent biliary tract cancer. Clinical outcomes of the elderly group (≥ 75 years old; n = 94) were compared with those of the non‐elderly group (< 75 years old; n = 309). Results Except for the extent of disease, patient baseline characteristics were well balanced between both groups. The median overall survival was 10.4 months in the elderly group and 11.5 months in the non‐elderly group (hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.89–1.45; P = 0.31). Although the frequency of adverse events between both groups was similar, interstitial pneumonitis was significantly more frequent in the elderly group than in the non‐elderly group (4.3% vs 0%, P < 0.01). Conclusions In advanced biliary tract cancer, overall survival of elderly patients receiving palliative chemotherapy is comparable with that of non‐elderly patients. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest studies that have reported the clinical outcomes of elderly patients following palliative chemotherapy.