[Palliative radiation oncologic therapy: is patient's age a determining factor of feasibility? A 1-year analysis (1997) at a radiotherapy clinic of an academic teaching hospital].

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy is a successfully proven, feasible and appropriate antineoplastic treatment for the palliation of tumor symptoms. Clinicians sometimes use the argument of the burden of advanced age and limited tolerance to withhold this modality of treatment from older patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All cancer patients (n = 827) who presented for the first time to the Department of Radiation Oncology during 1997 were used as a base to analyze if age was a factor with regard to the feasibility and the effectiveness of palliative radiation treatment in patients with measurable tumor burden. The following treatment end-points were analyzed in 440 (53%) patients who were treated palliatively: reduction or management of pain; neurological impairment; superior vena cava syndrome; dysphagia; dyspnea; bleeding or ulceration of the tumor or metastasis as well as prevention from clinically but not yet symptomatic tumor progression, while controlling for age (< 70 years: n = 293, 70 to 75 years: n = 79, > 75 years: n = 68); treatment status (in- or out-patient), range of treatment modalities (radiation and/or chemotherapy, no cancer specific treatment). The frequency of not reaching these treatment goals is a criterium of treatment feasibility and a measure of the effect of the variables.
RESULTS: When comparing primarily palliative and non-palliative treated patients, there were similar frequencies in the defined age groups, which points to the effect of other mechanisms of selection, e.g. effect of comorbidity. In an analysis of the relevant reasons for the discontinuation of treatment in palliatively treated patients (reduction of general condition: n = 31 [7%], comorbidity: n = 1 [0%], treatment toxicity: n = 3 [1%], tumor progression: n = 15 [3%], therapy associated death: n = 11 [3%], at patients own request: n = 8 [2%]) age was not a discernible factor. Frequencies of discontinuation of treatment according to age of patients and treatment status defined as in- vs out-patient are relatively small (< 70 years: 5/85 vs 42/208; 70 to 75 years: 2/29 vs 11/50; > 75 years: 4/29 vs 13/39). There are similarities in the lower age groups and these seem to be independent from the treatment modalities used in each of the age groups.
CONCLUSIONS: This presents an example of how one can analyze and present the treatment results of radiotherapy as part of quality management in a department of radiation oncology. The results confirm that it is not justified to withhold radiation therapy based on advanced age alone.