PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - MINEHIKO INOMATA
AU  - KAZUKI SHIMOKAWA
AU  - KOTARO TOKUI
AU  - CHIHIRO TAKA
AU  - SEISUKE OKAZAWA
AU  - KENTA KAMBARA
AU  - TORU YAMADA
AU  - TOSHIRO MIWA
AU  - RYUJI HAYASHI
AU  - TATSUHIKO KASHII
AU  - SHOKO MATSUI
AU  - KAZUYUKI TOBE
TI  - Appetite Loss as an Adverse Effect During Treatment with EGFR-TKIs in Elderly Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
DP  - 2016 Sep 01
TA  - Anticancer Research
PG  - 4951--4954
VI  - 36
IP  - 9
4099  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/36/9/4951.short
4100  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/36/9/4951.full
SO  - Anticancer Res2016 Sep 01; 36
AB  - Aim: We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the frequency of appetite loss during treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) in elderly patients, aged 75 years or older, with non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR gene mutations. Patients and Methods: Data of a total of 64 patients, including 39 relatively young (hereinafter, younger) patients and 25 elderly patients were analyzed. Results: Appetite loss of all grades (p=0.074) and of grade 3 or greater (p=0.030) was more frequently observed in elderly patients. Diarrhea and oral mucositis were also more frequent in elderly patients, although they did not reach statistical significance. No apparent differences were observed in the frequency of aspartate aminotransferase/ alanine aminotransferase elevation, skin rash or fatigue between the two patient groups. The median (95% confidence interval) progression-free survival times were 10.8 (6.6-16.4) months and 11.8 (4.4-20.3) months in the younger and elderly patient groups, respectively. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that appetite loss is a major adverse effect in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving treatment with EGFR-TKIs.