The aim was to describe, in a prospective manner, the clinical, histopathological and epidemiological characteristics of lung cancer patients who attended as outpatients at the Lluís Alcanyís, Xàtiva Medical Oncology Hospital, València, Spain from January 2004 to July 2014. We also analyzed survival and compared our data with that reported in the literature. Methods: Clinical and demographic characteristics were analyzed for the entire series and trends were compared by year of diagnosis. Changes in epidemiology were examined and compared. Results: There were 701 patients (91.4% were men, mean age 67.6). Main histology was squamous cell carcinoma (41.5%). Squamous cell carcinoma prevailed in men (45.5%) and adenocarcinoma (ADC) in women (60.3%). The percentage of men with lung cancer and of patients with squamous cell carcinoma was higher than in the reported worldwide data and remained throughout the 10 years period. Mean survival was low, with < 10% survivors at 5 years. Stage of disease remained the main prognostic factor for survival. Conclusion: Squamous cell carcinoma continues to be the most frequent histological type in our area. Male and smoking is associated with lung carcinoma while ADC more often occurs in females. Over the time, our epidemiological and histological patterns have not changed, possibly in relation to maintenance of smoking habits.

How to cite this article: Gironés R, López P, Chulvi R, Cañabate M. Do elderly NSCLC stage IV patients benefit from chemotherapy as well as younger? An analysis from clinical practice date. J Cancer Metasta Treat 2016;2:379-87. Aim:The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of treatment related to age in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We compared young and elders (> 70) in the setting of a regional Spanish hospital. We hypothesized that elder benefit as much as younger patients from chemotherapy in stage IV NSCLC. The study was limited to performance status 0-2. Methods: Clinical and demographic characteristics were reviewed form medical records. Type of treatment was collected and compared, as well as benefit from treatment, in terms of overall survival. Results: 322 patients (162 young, 160 aged) Elderly patients received less active treatment (63% vs. 86%, P = 0.001). Elderly received less chemotherapy, less cisplatin-doublets, more carboplatin-combinations and monotherapy (P = 0.035). The benefits of treatment were similar, regardless of age. Smoking status demonstrated a prognosis impact for elder patients treated with chemotherapy. Those who remained active smokers had a lower overall survival in the aged group. In a multivariate analysis, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, active treatment and non-smoking history were favorable prognostic factors for elder patients. Smoking had not impact on young patients. Conclusion: Elderly patients were undertreated in clinical practice. Treatment showed similar overall survival despite of age. The impact of smoking seems to be more significant in the elderly population. Key words:Non-small cell lung cancer, elderly, chemotherapy, overall survival, smoking habits, platinum-combinations ABSTRACTArticle history: