Treatment Modification Aids Chemo Tolerability in Seniors With Advanced Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Primary treatment modification is associated with improved tolerability of chemotherapeutic regimens among older adults with advanced cancer and aging-related conditions, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in JAMA Network Open.

Mostafa R. Mohamed, M.D., Ph.D., from University of Rochester in New York, and colleagues examined the association between primary treatment modification and treatment tolerability in older adults with advanced cancer who were starting new palliative chemotherapy regimens. The analysis included 609 participants in the Geriatric Assessment Intervention for Reducing Toxicity in Older Patients with Advanced Cancer trial.

The researchers found that nearly half (46.1 percent) of participants received a primary modified treatment regimen. The most common cancer types were gastrointestinal cancer (37.4 percent) and lung cancer (28.6 percent). Primary treatment modification was associated with a lower risk for grade 3 to 5 toxic effects (relative risk, 0.85) and functional decline (relative risk, 0.80). Patients receiving primary treatment modification had reduced odds of having a worse composite adverse outcome (odds ratio, 0.68).

"This information can help oncologists to choose the optimal drug regimen, select a safe and effective initial dose, and undertake appropriate monitoring strategies to manage the clinical care of older people with advanced cancer," the authors write.

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