PURPOSE: To determine the tolerability of capecitabine in elderly patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients with advanced CRC who were >/= 70 years and considered ineligible for combination chemotherapy received oral capecitabine 1,250 mg/m(2) twice daily on days 1 to 14 every 3 weeks. Patients with a creatinine clearance of 30 to 50 mL/min received a dose of 950 mg/m(2) twice daily. RESULTS: A total of 248 cycles of capecitabine were administered (median, five cycles; range, one to eight cycles). The overall response rate was 24% (95% CI, 15% to 41%), including two complete responses (CR; 4%) and 10 partial responses (PR; 20%). Disease control (CR + PR + stable disease) was achieved in 67% of patients. The median times to disease progression and overall survival were 7 months (95% CI, 6.4 to 9.5 months) and 11 months (95% CI, 8.6 to 13.3 months), respectively. Of the 35 patients evaluated for clinical benefit response, 14 (40%; 95% CI, 24% to 58%) showed clinical benefit. Capecitabine was well tolerated. Treatment-related grade 3 and 4 adverse events were observed in only six patients (12%), and the most common events were diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome, and thrombocytopenia. One patient (2%) had an episode of angina, but no treatment-related deaths were reported. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that capecitabine is effective and well tolerated in elderly patients with advanced CRC who are considered ineligible for combination chemotherapy.
PURPOSE: To determine the tolerability of capecitabine in elderly patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients with advanced CRC who were >/= 70 years and considered ineligible for combination chemotherapy received oral capecitabine 1,250 mg/m(2) twice daily on days 1 to 14 every 3 weeks. Patients with a creatinine clearance of 30 to 50 mL/min received a dose of 950 mg/m(2) twice daily. RESULTS: A total of 248 cycles of capecitabine were administered (median, five cycles; range, one to eight cycles). The overall response rate was 24% (95% CI, 15% to 41%), including two complete responses (CR; 4%) and 10 partial responses (PR; 20%). Disease control (CR + PR + stable disease) was achieved in 67% of patients. The median times to disease progression and overall survival were 7 months (95% CI, 6.4 to 9.5 months) and 11 months (95% CI, 8.6 to 13.3 months), respectively. Of the 35 patients evaluated for clinical benefit response, 14 (40%; 95% CI, 24% to 58%) showed clinical benefit. Capecitabine was well tolerated. Treatment-related grade 3 and 4 adverse events were observed in only six patients (12%), and the most common events were diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome, and thrombocytopenia. One patient (2%) had an episode of angina, but no treatment-related deaths were reported. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that capecitabine is effective and well tolerated in elderly patients with advanced CRC who are considered ineligible for combination chemotherapy.
Authors: Javier Sastre; Cristina Grávalos; Fernando Rivera; Bartomeu Massuti; Manuel Valladares-Ayerbes; Eugenio Marcuello; José L Manzano; Manuel Benavides; Manuel Hidalgo; Eduardo Díaz-Rubio; Enrique Aranda Journal: Oncologist Date: 2012-02-23
Authors: J Feliu; M J Safont; A Salud; F Losa; C García-Girón; C Bosch; P Escudero; R López; C Madroñal; M Bolaños; M Gil; A Llombart; J Castro-Carpeño; M González-Barón Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2010-04-27 Impact factor: 7.640