RETROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF CHEMOTHERAPY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS IN THE FIRST-LINE TREATMENT OF METASTATIC COLORECTAL CANCER

Treatment in the elderly first-line patient of metastatic colorectal cancer is often conditioned by the age and general condition of the patient.

Such treatment involves the combination of chemotherapy and biological therapy targeted on the basis of the site and genetic mutations of the colorectal tumour, in particular RAS and BRAF.

With regard to targeted biologic therapy, the choice of monoclonal antibody is determined by tumour site and mutations. In particular, for right-sided and/or RAS/BRAF mutated tumours anti-VEGF therapy with Bevacizumab is the best option, whereas for left-sided and RAS/BRAF WT tumours monoclonal antibodies Panitumunab or Cetuximab are the choice.

In the elderly patient, the intensity of chemotherapy to be combined with targeted biologic therapy varies according to the patient's age, general condition and treatment goals. In particular for patients aged 70 years or older, a valid option is the combination of monochemotherapy with fluorodrugs in combination with bevacizumab. In addition, an Italian randomised trial tested monochemotherapy with 5-Fluorouracil in combination with Panitumumab in RAS WT/BRAF WT tumours and obtained the same efficacy as a doublet of chemotherapy with FOLFOX also in combination with Panitumumab.

Full-dose doublet chemotherapy is hardly feasible in the elderly patient because of the frailty of these patients and the high risk of toxicity.