Johnson D H
Division of Medical Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville 37232-5536.
Chest. 1993 Jan;103(1 Suppl):72S-74S. doi: 10.1378/chest.103.1_supplement.72s.
The population of the United States is gradually aging. Within a generation, over 20 percent of the population will be > 65 years of age. Since cancer is a disease of older persons, the incidence of malignancies of all types is expected to increase during the coming decades. In general, since older patients appear to tolerate chemotherapy less well than their younger counterparts, strategies that lessen toxicity and yet maintain efficacy are desperately needed. Recently, the use of single-agent oral etoposide has been shown to be an effective palliative therapy for older patients with small-cell lung cancer. Future studies will need to focus on the unique requirements of older patients in order to improve therapy in these individuals.
美国人口正逐渐老龄化。在一代人的时间内，超过20%的人口将年满65岁以上。由于癌症是一种老年疾病，预计在未来几十年里各类恶性肿瘤的发病率将会上升。一般来说，老年患者似乎比年轻患者对化疗的耐受性更差，因此迫切需要既能降低毒性又能保持疗效的策略。最近，已证明使用单药口服依托泊苷对老年小细胞肺癌患者是一种有效的姑息治疗方法。未来的研究需要关注老年患者的独特需求，以便改善对这些患者的治疗。
