Comparative retrospective study between best supportive care (BSC) versus chemotherapy for elderly patients with NSCLC

7355 Background: Lung cancer is a common disease in elderly patients. However, age alone is a very uncertain prognostic criteria for outcome and tolerance to treatment. Despite some meta-analysis have shown that performance status is a better criteria for treatment decision, elderly patients were poorly represented. Methods: We analyzed data from 82 patients aged 80 or older with NSCLC admitted at our institution from august 1998 to july 2003. Thirty-eight patients (46,3%) received any chemotherapy regimen. Results: Average age was 82 years. Most patients (73,2%) were men, 90.2% were ECOG PS 2 or less, 67 patients (81.7%) were clinical stage IIIB or IV and the most common histologic type was squamous-cell carcinoma. Median survival for all patients was 13.4 weeks. Patients that received chemotherapy had a significantly longer median survival compared to those that did not, 28.3 versus 8 weeks, respectively. Thirty patients (79%) from the chemo treated group received Carboplatin AUC 4 day 1 plus Vinorelbin...