Folfirinox in elderly patients with pancreatic or colorectal cancer-tolerance and efficacy

AIM To study the tolerance and the efficiency of FOLFIRINOX in elderly patients diagnosed with colorectal or pancreatic cancer. METHODS This retrospective study included elderly patients aged over 70 years of age treated at Georges-Francois Leclerc Center by FOLFIRINOX for histological proved colorectal or pancreatic cancer between January 2009 and January 2015. Chemotheapy regimen consisted of oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2 in over 120 min) followed by leucovorin (400 mg/m2 in over 120 min), with the addition, after 30 min of irinotecan (180 mg/m2 in over 90 min) then 5 fluorouracil (5FU) (400 mg/m2 administred intravenous bolus), followed by 5FU (2400 mg/m2 intraveinous infusion over 46 h) repeated every 2 wk. Geriatric parameters were recorded at the beginning. Toxicities were evaluated with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 4.03. Tumor response was evaluated by CT scan. Treatment continued until disease progression, unacceptable toxicities or patient refusal. RESULTS Fifty-two patients aged from 70 to 87 years were treated by FOLFIRINOX, 34 had colorectal cancer and 18 had pancreatic cancer. Most of them were in good general condition, 82.7% had a 0-1 performance status and 61.5% had a Charlson Comorbidity Index < 10. The most frequent severe toxicities were neutropenia (17 patients, n = 32.7%) and diarrhea (35 patients n = 67.3%); 10 of the case of neutropenia and 5 of diarrhea registered a grade 4 toxicity. Thirty-nine patients (75%) initially received an adapted dose of chemotherapy. The dosage was adjusted for 26% of patients during the course of treatment. Tumor response evaluated by RECIST criteria showed a controlled disease for 25 patients (48.1%), a stable disease for 13 and a partial response for 12 patients. Time under treatment was higher for colorectal cancer with a median time of 2.44 mo (95%CI: 1.61-3.25). Overall survival was 43.88 mo for colorectal cancer and 12.51 mo for pancreatic cancer. In univariate or multivariate analysis, none of geriatric parameters were linked to overall survival. Only the type of tumor (pancreatic/colorectal) was linked in both analysis. CONCLUSION For people over 70 years old, FOLFIRINOX regimen seems to induce manageable toxicities but similar, even higher, median survival rates compared to younger people.