Published in:
01-05-2020 | Ovarian Cancer | Original Article – Clinical Oncology
Treatment strategies for recurrent ovarian cancer in older adult patients in Japan: a study based on real-world data
Published in: Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology | Issue 5/2020
Login to get accessAbstract
Background/objective
Elderly patients with cancer are often at risk for undertreatment because of frailty, an aging-specific problem. However, current real-world conditions of recurrent ovarian cancer treatment in elderly patients remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify treatment patterns in elderly patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.
Patients and methods
We used an ovarian cancer database containing the diagnosis and initial therapy of all patients at the National Cancer Center Hospital in Japan from 2007 to 2014. Patients were stratified into the platinum-sensitive group and the platinum-resistant group. We retrospectively assessed chemotherapy use in patients aged ≤ 64, 65–69, 70–74, 75–79, and ≥ 80 years.
Results
Among 253 patients (sensitive group: 135; resistant group: 118), by age group 91%, 95%, 100%, 100%, and 100% received chemotherapy in the sensitive group, and 79%, 67%, 50%, 29%, 0% received chemotherapy in the resistant group, respectively. In the resistant group, the percentage of patients aged 70–74 or 75–79 years who received chemotherapy was significantly lower than the percentage among patients aged ≤ 64 years, respectively (p = 0.01, p = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, age ≥ 70 years (odds ratio [OR], 4.412; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.628–11.959; p = 0.004) and platinum-free interval < 3 months (OR, 3.434; 95% CI, 1.401–8.399; p = 0.007) were inversely associated with chemotherapy use.
Conclusions
Doctors and patients did not consider chemotherapy in patients aged ≥ 70 years with platinum-resistant disease. Older age was independently and inversely associated with chemotherapy use in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Our results highlight the importance of demographic information in clinical decision-making for elderly patients.