Objective To investigate the influence of single agent and combined medication
chemotherapy on
elderly patients with
gastric cancer.
Methods One hundred and twenty
elderly inpatients with
gastric cancer in the
general surgery department of the Nanyang Municipal Central
Hospital from January 2009 to October 2014 were divided into the single agent
chemotherapy group (n=60) and combined medication
chemotherapy group(n=60). The adverse reactions and
survival time were compared between the two groups. Results The occurrence rates of
nausea,
vomiting,
diarrhea,
constipation,
leukopenia,
oral mucositis and
peripheral neuropathy in the single agent group were lower than those in the combined
chemotherapy group, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05) ; the occurrence rates of Hb decrease,
thrombocytopenia and
transaminase elevation in the single agent group were lower than those in the combined
chemotherapy group,but the difference was not statistically significant(P>0. 05);the
survival time in the combined
chemotherapy group was longer than that in the single agent
chemotherapy group,but the difference between them was not statistically significant(P>0.05). Conclusion Single agent
chemotherapy may be considered as the first-line
chemotherapy scheme for
elderly patients with
gastric cancer.