Abstract

Background: Geriatric patients diagnosed with locally advanced lung cancer often cannot access appropriate treatment options due to the increasing prevalence of comorbidities and poor performance status. Although, curative and palliative treatment options substantially contribute to survival of patients in the early and advanced stages of lung cancer. The present study aims to investigate treatment response and treatment complications in geriatric patients receiving chemotherapy with the diagnosis of locally advanced lung cancer.

Method: The study included outpatients admitted to our hospital between January 2016 and March 2021 who subsequently received chemoradiotherapy after being diagnosed with locally advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer. The patients were divided into two groups as patients aged 65 years and older and younger. The primary end-point of the study was the evaluation of treatment complications between the two groups. The secondary end-point of the studywas the evaluation of treatment response, treatment interruption/discontinuation and hospitalization.

Results: The study comprised a total of 132 patients, including 67 patients aged ≥ 65 years. In the comparison of treatment complications between the two groups, the number of patients developing complications, the treatment interruption/discontinuation and the rate of hospitalization was significantly higher in patients aged ≥ 65 years (p < 0.05). The most common reason for hospitalization was pneumonia, which occurred significantly higher in patients aged ≥ 65 years (p = 0.020).

Conclusion: Although treatment responses are similar to elderly patients, treatment complications and hospitalizations are higher in elderly patients. Therefore, careful follow-up and symptom palliation are very important during the treatment process in these elderly patients.