Age-Based Comparison of Hematological Toxicity in Patients with Lung Cancer

Introduction: Because of the increasing age of the general population, there is an increasing number of older patients with lung cancer. Cancer chemotherapy often causes severe hematological toxicity in older patients. Objective: This study aimed to explore the risk factors affecting the hematological toxicity of cytotoxic anticancer drugs in patients with lung cancer. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from 194 patients with lung cancer at Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Japan, between April 2011 and March 2016, when the patients underwent their first round of cytotoxic chemotherapy. The patients were divided into three groups on the basis of age: Results: Patients aged ≥75 years were significantly more likely to experience grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, compared with patients aged Conclusion: We found that age ≥75 years, male sex, and a performance status of ≥2 were independent risk factors for grade 3 or 4 neutropenia.