[Evaluation of chemotherapy, especially combined therapy with Carboplatin Plus Etoposide(CE), in patients aged > or =80 years old with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer].

The standard chemotherapy at present for extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer(ED-SCLC)is platinum-based chemotherapy. However, reports concerning the safety and efficacy of this chemotherapy in patients aged> or =80 with ED-SCLC are still scarce. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the treatment for patients aged> or =80 with ED-SCLC, especially the tolerability and efficacy of carboplatin plus etoposide(CE). Between January 2005 and August 2008, 12 patients aged> or =80 years old with ED-SCLC were treated at our hospital. We retrospectively evaluated the safety and efficacy of the treatment in these 12 patients based on clinical imaging and laboratory data. The median age of patients was 82. 5 years(range: 80-89); PS 1/2/3/4, 6/3/1/2; Clinical stageIIIB/IV, 2/9; treatment with BSC/CE/Amurubicin, 5/6/1. All 6 patients treated with CE, could be treated with four courses. Febrile neutropenia of> or = Grade 3 occurred in two patients. In relation to the best efficacy, PR was observed in four and SD in the remaining two. The median survival time was 15 months in the CE treatment group. Although Grade> or =3 severe neutropenia occurred at a high frequency, no Grade> or =3 severe non-hematological toxicities were observed.