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To evaluate the outcome of elderly patients with head and neck cancer undergoing palliative chemotherapy.

We analyzed combined data from two mature phase III randomized trials conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG; trial E1393, which compared cisplatin plus paclitaxel at two dose levels, and trial E1395, which compared cisplatin plus fluorouracil to cisplatin plus paclitaxel) to evaluate the toxicity, objective response rates, and survival of patients 70 years or older versus their younger counterparts. All patients had previously untreated recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and ECOG performance status 0 or 1.

Fifty-three elderly patients were enrolled from a total of 399 eligible participants (13%). Elderly patients had similar objective response rates (28% v 33%) and …