The Optimal Treatment Approaches and Prognostic Factors in Elderly Patients with Advanced Stage Biliary Tract Tumors

Abstract

Introduction: There is a lack of evidence of the outcomes in elderly patients advanced stage biliary tract cancer due to the patients aged over 65 years are less than 25% in many prospective trials. We designed a retrospective multicenter study to evaluate the factors affecting treatment and survival in elderly patients with advanced-stage biliary tract cancer. Materials and methods: A total of 116 patients with advanced stage biliary tract cancer aged ≥65 years were included, and the treatment responses, survival, and toxicity rates were evaluated with respect to age groups Results: There was no significant difference between age and response to treatment, survival, or toxicity. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 5.3, and 11.8 months respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that ECOG PS (p<0.001 CI95% 1.5-3.7) and PNI (p<0.001 CI 95% 0.14-0.41) were significant independent prognostic factors for PFS. The independent prognostic factors for OS were choice of frontline regimen, NLR and PNI (p=0.007 CI 95% 0.71 – 0.94, p=0.006 CI 95% 1.2 – 3.1, p=0.001 CI 95% 0.35 – 0.91, respectively). Discussion: This study confirms the general prognostic relevance of inflammatory parameters and the importance of frontline treatment in elderly patients with advanced-stage biliary tract tumors. Additionally, getting older does not indicate that treatment will be avoided or that they will have a worse prognosis and suffer from more toxicities.