Advances in first-line chemotherapy strategies for elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with serious health consequences for people all over the world.Non small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC)is the most common type of lung cancer,making up 80％ to 85％ of all cases.As a result of low rates of early detection,more than 70％ of patients,many of them elderly patients,are in late stages(Ⅲ-Ⅳ)at the time of diagnosis,and cannot be effectively treated with surgery.First line chemotherapy is the most common and critical treatment for patients with advanced or recurrent lung cancer.Elderly patients show decreased tolerance for side effects and toxicities of chemotherapy agents because of low basic metabolic rates and functional decline of major organs.Therefore,first-line chemotherapy strategies for elderly patients with NSCLC need further investigation.