RESUMEN
PURPOSE: Lung cancer chemotherapy decisions in patients ≥ 70 years old are complex because of toxicity, comorbidity and the limited data on patient preferences. We examined the relationships between preferences and chemotherapy use in this group of patients. METHODS AND PATIENTS: We used a questionnaire describing four hypothetical lung cancer treatment options. Eighty-three elderly (≥ 70 years old) lung cancer patients were informed about their diagnosis and therapeutic choices and then asked to choose one of the four options. Patients had previously been included in a prospective study to explore geriatric evaluation in an oncology unit and all had given written informed consent. RESULTS: Older patients (n=83) diagnosed with lung cancer (non-small- and small-cell lung cancer) from January 2006 to February 2008 were recruited from a single centre. The mean patient age was 77 years (range: 70-91). Eighty-one patients (97.6%) were men. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was the diagnosis in 63 patients (76%). Most patients selected active treatment (38.6% most survival benefit, 18% less survival benefit) and 31.3% selected no active treatment. Elderly lung cancer patients were significantly more likely to accept aggressive treatments despite high reported toxicities. Although most of the patients were symptomatic at diagnosis, the "symptom relief" option was chosen less frequently than the options that could prolong survival. Factors significantly related to patients' attitude toward chemotherapy were age (p<0.001), frailty (p=0.0039), depression and poor performance status (PS). CONCLUSION: Elderly lung cancer patients want to be involved in the decision-making process. Survival was the main treatment objective for more than half of the patients in this study. We have not found other published studies about elderly lung cancer patients' decisions about chemotherapy.
Asunto(s)
Anciano , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapéutico , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/tratamiento farmacológico , Toma de Decisiones , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamiento farmacológico , Prioridad del Paciente , Relaciones Médico-Paciente , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/psicología , Conducta de Elección/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/psicología , Masculino , Cuidados Paliativos/psicología , Cuidados Paliativos/estadística & datos numéricos , Educación del Paciente como Asunto , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
We carried out bibliographic searches in PubMed and Embase.com for the period from 1996 to 2008 with the aim of reviewing the scientific literature on the relationship between various sources of indoor air pollution and the respiratory health of children under the age of five. Those studies that included adjusted correlation measurements for the most important confounding variables and which had an adequate population size were considered to be more relevant. The results concerning the relationship between gas energy sources and children's respiratory health were heterogeneous. Indoor air pollution from biomass combustion in the poorest countries was found to be an important risk factor for lower respiratory tract infections. Solvents involved in redecorating, DYI work, painting, and so forth, were found to be related to an increased risk for general respiratory problems. The distribution of papers depending on the pollution source showed a clear relationship with life-style and the level of development.