Herausforderungen in der multimodalen Therapie älterer Patient:innen mit Lungenkarzinomen

Despite continuous improvements in early detection and interdisciplinary treatment approaches, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to have a high incidence and dismal prognosis. It is commonly diagnosed in elderly patients, in whom frailty and comorbidities may challenge the feasibility of intensified multimodality treatment. Rather than chronological age, comorbidities should be considered in the design and realization of the recommended treatments. Dose- and substance-adapted chemotherapies and precisely planned and administered radiotherapy may offer attractive treatment options. Genomic analyses should always be performed, as a relevant number of patients may benefit from the commonly less toxic tyrosine or checkpoint inhibitors. Such personalized and interdisciplinary therapies have been shown to be both feasible and highly effective in an aging lung cancer population.