Purpose: To compare benefits and risks to adjuvant chemotherapy following complete resection of node-positive colon cancer stage III for patients aged >or=75 yr and younger.
Method: A retrospective study compared recurrence-free and overall survival, toxicity, and dose intensity of adjuvant bolus 5-FU according to the Mayo regimen chemotherapy in consecutive patients aged 19-74 (n=203) and >or=75 yr (n=24).
Results: The estimated 5-yr proportional survival rates were 0.65 for patients age less than 75 yr compared to 0.65 (p=0.96) for elderly. The frequencies of anemia (0%), thrombocytopenia (0%), leukopenia (4%), infection (8%), vomiting (0%), mucositis (17%), diarrhea (13%) CTC grade 3 or 4 toxicity in elderly patients were not significantly different from that in younger patients (p > 0.05). Significantly more elderly (8%) had a decline in performance status to grade 3 or 4, as compared to younger patients (4%) (p=0.002). 5-FU dose reduction was necessary for significantly more elderly (51%) as compared to younger patients (28%) (p=0.02), and fewer elderly (54%) completed the scheduled six treatment courses as compared to younger patients (82%) (p=0.05).
Conclusions: Adjuvant 5-FU chemotherapy should be considered for elderly patients aged >or=75 yr in good performance at high risk of recurrence of colon carcinoma after resection.