Feasibility of Modified FOLFOX in Elderly Patients Aged ≥80 Years with Metastatic Gastric Cancer or Colorectal Cancer

• Published in: Oncology Vol. 93; no. 2; p. 115
• Main Authors: Lim, Kyu-Hyoung, Lee, Hui-Young, Park, Sung Bae, Song, Seo-Young
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Feasibility Studies; Female; Fluorouracil - therapeutic use; Humans; Leucovorin - therapeutic use; Male; Neoplasm Metastasis - therapy; Organoplatinum Compounds - therapeutic use; Republic of Korea; Stomach Neoplasms - drug therapy; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome; First-line chemotherapy; Metastasis; Elderly; Gastric cancer; Colorectal cancer
• ISSN: 1423-0232
• DOI: 10.1159/000471767

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a modified FOLFOX regimen as first-line treatment in elderly patients with metastatic gastric cancer (GC) or colorectal cancer (CRC). We included chemotherapy-naïve patients over 80 years old with metastatic GC or CRC in our study. From September 2008 to November 2014, 28 consecutive patients were enrolled and treated with modified FOLFOX. The study population consisted of an equal number of GC and CRC patients. The median age was 82.2 years in the GC group and 81.1 years in the CRC group. The total number of administered cycles was 89 (with a median of 6 per patient) in the GC group and 112 (with a median of 8 per patient) in the CRC group. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 5.4 and 6.6 months in the GC group and 7.3 and 8.1 months in the CRC group, respectively. There was no significant difference in PFS (p = 0.941) and OS (p = 0.238) between the GC and the CRC group. The 1-year survival rates were 35.7% with GC and 42.9% with CRC. Common grade 3/4 hematology toxicities were neutropenia (10.7%) and anemia (14.3%). Salvage chemotherapy was administered to 1 patient with GC and 7 patients with CRC. The modified FOLFOX regimen can be cautiously considered as a first-line treatment option in extremely elderly patients with metastatic GC or CRC.