A phase II study of afatinib treatment for elderly patients with previously untreated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer harboring EGFR mutations1

The number of elderly people with advanced lung cancer is increasing globally owing to the aging population and advances in cancer therapy [1]. More than 50% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer are aged>65 years, which is the lower limit for defining “elderly” in epidemiologic researches [2]. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% of all cases of lung cancer among both the elderly [3] and the adults. Although platinum-combination regimens including newer agents are the standard first-line chemotherapy for most patients with adva nced NSCLC, their use in elderly patients remains controversial [4].

Source: Lung Cancer - October 13, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Hisao Imai, Kyoichi Kaira, Kensuke Suzuki, Masaki Anzai, Takeshi Tsuda, Tamotsu Ishizuka, Tomohito Kuwako, Ichiro Naruse, Kenji Nemoto, Junji Uchino, Nobutoshi Morozumi, Shinichi Ishihara, Koichi Minato, Takeshi Hisada Tags: Original Research Source Type: research