[Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in an elderly patient--a case of squamous cell carcinoma successfully treated with chemotherapy using vinorelbine]

Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 2001 May;28(5):697-700.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

We report an elderly patient with squamous cell carcinoma who was successfully treated with chemotherapy using vinorelbine. A 76-year-old man was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a nodular shadow in the left lung. Chest CT scam showed a 3-cm tumor shadow in left S9 and a 1-cm small nodule in right S2. Transbronchial lung biopsy yielded a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. The clinical stage was IV (cT2N2M1). The patient first underwent chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin (CDDP) 80 mg/m2 on day 1 and vinorelbine (VNB) 20 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15, which generated tumor shrinkage of 48% as well as transient elevation of grade 1 in serum creatinine. The 2 cycles of chemotherapy using vinorelbine only (VNB 20 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 15) produced a tumor reduction of 70% with grade-1 decrease of granulocytes. The low grade of toxicity enabled us to treat the patient in our outpatient office for the second cycle of the regimen. This case suggests that chemotherapy using low-dose vinorelbine might be suitable to treat elderly patients with NSCLC in outpatient settings.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / drug therapy*
  • Cisplatin / administration & dosage
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Vinblastine / administration & dosage*
  • Vinblastine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Vinorelbine

Substances

  • Vinblastine
  • Cisplatin
  • Vinorelbine