Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in patients aged 75 years or older with metastatic colorectal cancer.

To evaluate the tolerability and efficacy of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (OBC) in patients ≥ 75 years old with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). We reviewed the medical records of 126 patients with unresectable stage IV CRC in terms of OBC administered as first-line chemotherapy whenever feasible. Use of first-line OBC was significantly less frequent in patients ≥ 75 years old (n=18) than in patients <75 years old (n=108) (46% vs. 81% p<0.01). When analysis was restricted to patients receiving OBC, the two age groups did not differ significantly in terms of response rate (44% vs. 36%, p=0.54), progression-free survival (18.7 months vs. 13.0 months, p=0.44), overall survival (25.4 months vs. 17.5 months, p=0.53), and frequency of grade 3-4 toxicity (72% vs. 58%, p=0.26). In selected patients aged 75 years or greater, the clinical outcomes of OBC seem equivalent to those of younger patients.