Side effects and complications in cancer treatments were comparatively studied on 35 highly aged oral cancer patients (≥70 years, HA group) and 38 younger patients (40-60 years, MA group). The results are as follows.
1) Serum albumin level in the HA group was originally lower than that in the MA group, and lowering of HA group's albumin level was allowed to persist for a longer time after induction therapy.
2) Red and white blood cells decreased with cancer treatments in the groups. Both blood cells of MA group patients nearly increased to the original counts within a short time after therapies, but suppressed bone marrow condition continued even after remission in the HA group.
3) BUN level in the HA group elevated markedly with therapies, and the elevation was statistically significant high magnitude when compared with that in the MA group.
4) Distressed lung functions associated with therapies were found in both groups. In the tests examined, % DLco was most cleary decreased and seemed to be most useful for respiratory function monitoring.
5) No difference in original composition of lymphocyte subsets could be found between two groups. CD4 cell decrease and contrary CD8 cell increase were observed during cancer treatments, but NK subsets were hardly affected. Lymphocyte blastogenesis and allo-antigeninduced CTL activity were in low levels while NK and LAK activity returned to their original levels within the discharge time.
6) MA group patients originally had greater complications mainly in the circulatory system, but multiple complications resulted from cancer therapy of HA group patients. As complications induced by treatments, liver dysfunction was most frequent, and mental disturbance did not negligible.
The above results supported that inductive chemo-radiotherapy-induced side effects such as myelosuppression, malnutrition, renal and liver dysfunction and immunosuppression, and systemic complications distress highly aged patients more severely, therefore, more cautious cancer therapy avoiding irreversal side effects should be more demanded for older patients.
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