Background: With the increasing aging and the popularization of medical diagnosis, the growing number of oldest old with lung cancer needs to be focused on. Several medical and physiological challenges often accompanying the oldest old cancer patients make the choice of the optimal treatment daunting. The current research suggests that people who get adequate treatment can benefit, but it is worth discussing which treatment will benefit them more. High-dose-rate (HDR) 192Ir brachytherapy deserves attention in this context owing to its association with less trauma and reduced complications.
Case presentation: An 86-years-old woman with a right glandular lung carcinoma presented with progressive lesions 11 months after chemotherapy. Because of her old age and poor performance status (eastern cooperative oncology group performance status 3), she received HDR 192Ir brachytherapy for her right lung lesion without any common complications, such as pneumothorax and hemorrhage. She continued on 0.25 g oral gefitinib each day after received brachytherapy treatment. The right lung lesion keeps a partial response until 18 months later now.
Conclusion: HDR 192Ir brachytherapy can potentially be used as a safe and effective choice for the oldest old with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. It can especially benefit cancer patients with concurrent chemotherapy or targeted therapy.
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