Introduction: Demographic aging poses a problem of management in patients over 65 years old with lung cancer (LC). Performance status (PS) is an index of global activity that, in part, determines treatment. Geriatric indices allow a multifactorial assessment of the elderly subject. The aim of our study is to evaluate whether PS correlates with the geriatric indices in elderly patients with lung cancer.
Methods: In a single centre prospective study the geriatric indices (ADL, IADL, PINI, MMS) and the Charlson score (CS) were measured before treatment.
Results: Forty one patients aged 75.7 +/- 6.6 years were included in the study. PS 3-4 was found in 15% of patients and 44% had stage IV disease. Half of them were ADL dependent and 95% were IADL dependent. A MMS<24 was found in 29% and 17% had a PINI > 20. The CS was 2.7 +/- 2.1. There was a correlation between PS and the geriatric indices but no correlation between PS and CS.
Conclusion: PS is significantly correlated with the geriatric indices but is independent of CS. PS appears to be a good parameter for the assessment of global activity in the elderly subject with LC.