Dr. Scagliotti Discusses Elderly Lung Cancer Therapy

Giorgio V. Scagliotti, MD, PhD, head of the Thoracic Oncology Unit, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi Hospital, Orbassano, Italy, discusses the challenges facing lung cancer treatment in elderly populations.

Scagliotti explains that elderly patients now represent approximately 30% of new non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Despite this fact there hasn't been any major recent advances in the treatment of elderly patients with NSCLC.

The current standard treatment for NSCLC is chemotherapy that is either a targeted therapy or a classic cytotoxic agent. Administering combination therapies becomes difficult for elderly patients because only a minority is fit enough for this type of treatment.

The degree of comorbid conditions is increased in elderly patients due to their physiological state. These conditions are exceptionally common when giving cisplatin, which is the backbone of many combinations therapies.