Complete Response to S-1 Monotherapy Over 3 Years in an Elderly Patient with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

The number of elderly patients with cancer continues to increase. The optimal chemotherapeutic regimen for inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in elderly patients, especially over 80 years old, remains controversial. S-1, a newly developed oral fluorouracil antitumor drug, has been reported to be effective in the treatment of gastrointestinal and pancreatic tumors and/or NSCLC. We experienced a case of an elderly patient with advanced-stage NSCLC who responded well to S-1 monotherapy with tolerable toxicities and has had three years of disease-free survival. S-1 appears to have significant activity with mild toxicities for selected elderly NSCLC patients and in our view warrants further clinical study.