Renal insufficiency and anticancer drugs in elderly cancer patients: a subgroup analysis of the IRMA study

Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2009 May;70(2):124-33. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2008.09.012. Epub 2008 Nov 5.

Abstract

The Renal Insufficiency and Anticancer Medications (IRMA) study is a French national, observational study which demonstrated the high prevalence of abnormal renal function in a population of 4684 solid tumor patients. Among them, 50-60% had decreased renal function, and 80% were treated with anticancer drugs that either necessitated dosage adjustment in case of renal insufficiency (RI) or were potentially nephrotoxic drugs. Since elderly patients are well-known to have reduced renal function, either due to physiological aging or their disease/medication history, a subgroup analysis of this particular population of patients was performed. In 1553 IRMA patients whose age was > or =65 years, the prevalence of RI was very high in spite of normal serum creatinine values in most cases. Anticancer drugs used may be nephrotoxic or need dosage adjustment in a high number of cases.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anticarcinogenic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • France / epidemiology
  • Hemoglobins / analysis
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasms / complications*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Prevalence
  • Renal Insufficiency / complications*
  • Renal Insufficiency / epidemiology*
  • Renal Insufficiency / therapy
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Anticarcinogenic Agents
  • Hemoglobins
  • Creatinine