Chemotherapy for elderly patients with advanced cancer: Is it worth it?

Abstract

Elderly patients with advanced cancer must be allowed to balance the potential risks and benefits of treatment when deciding wherever or not to have chemotherapy. The response rates to aggressive chemotherapy are similar in younger and older patients. Disease-related survival is often similar, although the older age group has more deaths due to comorbid illnesses. Factors complicating chemotherapy in the elderly are the physiological changes of ageing, the presence of comorbidities and polypharmacy. Deterioration in renal or hepatic function may force the doses of chemotherapy to be adjusted. Organ toxicities may be more problematic in the elderly, but in most tumours, the efficacy of chemotherapy is not age dependent. Chemotherapy, where indicated for advanced cancer, can therefore be safely and effectively used in selected elderly patients.