Chemotherapy in the elderly – How intense should treatment be?

Abstract

Physiological changes and deficiencies in cognitive processes in the elderly have an influence on therapy and drug dosage compliance. The consequences of differences for the outcome of especially chemotherapies are neither well nor systematically studied. Existing studies though could actually demonstrate age-related differences in clinical pharmacokinetics. Another problem is the increased number of prescribed drugs that are often necessary when getting older (polypharmacy) and their interference with over-the-counter drugs (OTC) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). While they are often seen as harmless since they require no prescription or are of “natural origin”, they can contain pharmaceutical active agents. For example green tea is reported to prevent prostate cancer and pre-menopausal breast cancer and is therefore often recommended to cancer patients, but also contains Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) an active substance which decreases the bio-availability of the anti-cancer drugs Bortezomid or Sunitinib. Conclusion: a further and more systematic study of age-related differences in the outcome of chemotherapies in the elderly is necessary. Here especially the kidney function requires adaption of treatment regimen. Furthermore the interactions with other drugs, in particular over-the-counter and alternative medicine, need to be better understood and communicated.