Lung cancer treatments for elderly 'must be prioritised'

Evaluating treatments for older people with lung cancer should be a top priority, according to a group of experts.

Researchers from across the world are examining the use of Cistplatin chemotherapy for elderly people with non-small cell lung cancer, as they often do not respond very well to toxic medical treatments, despite making up a high proportion of those with the disease.

The study published in the Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology underlines the importance of conducting further studies into possible treatments for those with lung cancer.

Authors have also stressed: "The lack of data on octogenarians suggest that clinicians should exercise caution when applying the existing data on chemotherapy and targeted therapies for patients aged 70 to 79 years to those aged over 80 years."

In January, researchers at the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center indicated that a new 93-gene signature may be associated with the development of lung tumours.

Lead researcher Pierre Saintigny said: "We hope this mutation signature will be able to define patients with these tumour types who will then respond to EGFR inhibition."

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