Abstract

MONTEAGUDO CANTO, Alina; SALAZAR CUETO, Carlos E  and  SANTANA TELLEZ, Tomás. Clinical and psychosocial parameters to define the oncospecific treatment of elderly with lung cancer. AMC [online]. 2009, vol.13, n.6. ISSN 1025-0255.

Background: lung cancer is the first cause of cancer in man and among the first one and the second in woman. Patients bigger than sixty years constitute the age group more affected by this neoplasia. Objective: to create clinical and psychosocial useful parameters to define the elderly´s correct treatment. Method: a technological innovation project of organizational character, developed in two stages: the first one, an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study with the purpose of characterizing the clinical, epidemic, psychosocial and therapeutic behavior of lung cancer was carried out in elderly patients assisted in the University Hospital "Manuel Ascunce Domenech" in 2007, with a sample of 46 patients. The second stage, as an experts criterion (Delphi Method). Results: the masculine sex and those smaller than seventy five years were the most affected. The disnea was the most frequent symptom. The smokers and ex-smokers were the most affected ones and the  adenocarcinoma turned out to be the more frequent histologic diagnostic, as well as the pneumonia inside the radiological clinical forms. Conclusions: the palliative treatment prevailed. It should more influence the biological age than the patient's chronological age in the election of the oncospecific treatment; the valuation of the lung function will be an important aspect in the decision of the oncological treatment; the palliative treatment should be considered as coadjuvant and never as only treatment; the tumoral vaccine immunotherapy is just proscribed, in patients older than 80 years.

Keywords : old man; lung neoplasias [therapy]; critical pathways; parameters; medical psychology; adult- masculine.

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