PURPOSE: Since older age is a risk factor for chemotherapy toxicities, a prediction tool that can accurately identify older patients who are at risk for toxicity is necessary. The Cancer and Aging Research Group (CARG) toxicity tool was developed to predict chemotherapy toxicity risk in older patients. However, whether this tool is predictive of the toxicities for patients with specific tumor types who are receiving specific chemotherapy is unclear. This study evaluated whether the CARG toxicity tool is useful for the clinical practice of the gynecologist in predicting toxicity in older patients with gynecologic cancer treated with platinum and taxane-based chemotherapy. METHODS: We enrolled 34 patients aged ≥ 65 years with ovarian and endometrial cancer who received platinum and taxane-based chemotherapy into this study. Before starting chemotherapy, each patient was scored using the CARG toxicity tool. The patients were divided into three groups based on the risk of chemotherapy toxicities. We evaluated the associations of each risk group with toxicity incidence, treatment interruption and cycle delay. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the incidence of two or more grade 3 to 5 toxicities among the risk groups (p=0.0479). Treatment interruption caused by toxicity was also significantly different among the risk groups (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that the CARG toxicity tool could predict chemotherapy toxicity in older patients with ovarian and endometrial cancer treated with platinum and taxane-based chemotherapy. Our results indicate that this tool is useful for the gynecologist in everyday practice.
PURPOSE: Since older age is a risk factor for chemotherapy toxicities, a prediction tool that can accurately identify older patients who are at risk for toxicity is necessary. The Cancer and Aging Research Group (CARG) toxicity tool was developed to predict chemotherapy toxicity risk in older patients. However, whether this tool is predictive of the toxicities for patients with specific tumor types who are receiving specific chemotherapy is unclear. This study evaluated whether the CARGtoxicity tool is useful for the clinical practice of the gynecologist in predicting toxicity in older patients with gynecologic cancer treated with platinum and taxane-based chemotherapy. METHODS: We enrolled 34 patients aged ≥ 65 years with ovarian and endometrial cancer who received platinum and taxane-based chemotherapy into this study. Before starting chemotherapy, each patient was scored using the CARGtoxicity tool. The patients were divided into three groups based on the risk of chemotherapy toxicities. We evaluated the associations of each risk group with toxicity incidence, treatment interruption and cycle delay. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the incidence of two or more grade 3 to 5 toxicities among the risk groups (p=0.0479). Treatment interruption caused by toxicity was also significantly different among the risk groups (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that the CARGtoxicity tool could predict chemotherapy toxicity in older patients with ovarian and endometrial cancer treated with platinum and taxane-based chemotherapy. Our results indicate that this tool is useful for the gynecologist in everyday practice.