Frédéric Pamoukdjian

Colorectal cancer care in elderly patients: Unsolved issues

Colorectal cancers are common in elderly patients. However, cancer screening is poorly used after 75. Elderly patients form a heterogeneous population with specific characteristics. Standards of care cannot therefore be transposed from young to elderly patients. Tumour resection is frequently performed but adjuvant chemotherapy is rarely prescribed as there are no clearly established standards of care. In a metastatic setting, recent phase III studies have demonstrated that doublet front-line chemotherapy provided no survival benefit. Moreover, several studies have established the benefit of bevacizumab in association with chemotherapy. There is a lack of evidence for the efficacy of anti-epidermal growth factor antibodies in elderly patients. Geriatric assessments could help to select the adequate treatment strategy for individual patients. Geriatric oncology is now the challenge we have to face, and more specific trials are needed.

Prevalence and predictive value of pre-therapeutic sarcopenia in cancer patients: A systematic review

BACKGROUND & AIMS To assess the prevalence of sarcopenia before cancer treatment and its predictive value during the treatment. METHODS We searched MEDLINE via PubMed for articles published from 2008 to 2016 that reported prospective observational or interventional studies of the prevalence of pre-therapeutic sarcopenia and its consequences in adults with cancer who were 18 years or older. Two independent reviewers selected articles based on titles and/or abstracts before a complete review. Sarcopenia had to be measured before cancer treatment. Methods recommended by consensuses (CT scan, MRI, dual X-ray absorptiometry or bio-impedancemetry) to assess sarcopenia were considered. Characteristics of the studies included the prevalence of pre-therapeutic sarcopenia and the prognostic value for outcomes during the cancer treatment. RESULTS We selected 35 articles involving 6894 participants (in/out patients, clinical trials). The mean age ranged from 53 to 69.6 years. Pre-therapeutic sarcopenia was found in 38.6% of patients [95% CI 37.4-39.8]. Oesophageal and small-cell lung cancers showed the highest prevalence of pre-therapeutic sarcopenia. Pre-therapeutic sarcopenia was significantly and independently associated with post-operative complications, chemotherapy-induced toxicity and poor survival in cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS Pre-therapeutic sarcopenia is highly prevalent in cancer patients and has severe consequences for outcomes of cancer patients.

Impaired mobility, depressed mood, cognitive impairment and polypharmacy are independently associated with disability in older cancer outpatients: The prospective Physical Frailty in Elderly Cancer patients (PF-EC) cohort study

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of disability and the oncologic factors associated with disability in older outpatients with cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Physical Frailty in Elderly Cancer patients (PF-EC) study (France) is a prospective bicentric observational cohort study. Two hundred and ninety outpatients with cancer were included. A cross-sectional analysis of oncologic factors and geriatric variables associated with disability that were collected using a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) was conducted. Disability was defined as impairment in activities of daily living (ADL) and/or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), simplified to four items. Univariate and multivariate logistic models of disabled patients were performed. The three final multivariate models were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC/ROC) of the logistic model. RESULTS The mean age was 80.6years, and 51% of the patients were women with various types of cancer. The prevalence of disability was 67.6%. No oncologic factors (cancer site, cancer extension) were associated with disability. Impaired mobility, poor functional status, depressive mood, cognitive impairment and polypharmacy were independently associated with disability (P<0.05). The AUC/ROC of the final models was similar. CONCLUSION Disability was highly prevalent in older cancer outpatients before cancer treatment but was not associated with oncologic factors. Impaired mobility, depressed mood, cognitive impairment and polypharmacy were the geriatric variables significantly and independently associated with disability. Identifying these factors prior to cancer treatment could enable the implementation of corrective actions to improve patient autonomy before treatment and during follow-up.

Diagnostic performance of gait speed, G8 and G8 modified indices to screen for vulnerability in older cancer patients: the prospective PF-EC cohort study

BACKGROUND The diagnostic performance of tools used to screen vulnerability in older cancer patients varies widely. We assessed the diagnostic performance of gait speed (GS) for assessing vulnerability in such patients. METHODS All consecutive outpatients 65 years and older were referred for geriatric oncology assessment (GA) before a therapeutic decision between November 2013 and April 2016 in a bicentric observational and prospective cohort study. Vulnerability was defined as impaired score on at least one of the 6 domains of the GA. GS and the G8 index and G8 modified index were assessed at the first geriatric oncology visit during the GA. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and positive and negative likelihood ratio were estimated. The accuracy of the three tools was analysed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS Among 269 included patients (mean [SD] age, 81.3 years [5.9]; 55% women, 94.4% solid tumors; 39.4% with metastasis), 252 (93.7%) had impaired GA. With the GS threshold of 1 m/s, sensitivity was 79.4% (95% CI, 73.8-84.2), specificity 64.7% (38.3-85.8), and AUC 82.0 (74.0-90.0). The corresponding values for the G8 index were 90.1% (85.7-93.5), 35.3% (14.2-61.7), and 79.0 (70.0-88.0) and G8 modified index were 89.3% (84.8-92.8), 64.7% (38.3-85.8), and 84.0 (74.0-92.0). CONCLUSIONS GS < 1 m/s with a single measure could be used as a new screening tool for detecting vulnerability in older cancer outpatients. This first external validation of the G8 modified index was very good.Background The diagnostic performance of tools used to screen vulnerability in older cancer patients varies widely. We assessed the diagnostic performance of gait speed (GS) for assessing vulnerability in such patients. Methods All consecutive outpatients 65 years and older were referred for geriatric oncology assessment (GA) before a therapeutic decision between November 2013 and April 2016 in a bicentric observational and prospective cohort study. Vulnerability was defined as impaired score on at least one of the 6 domains of the GA. GS and the G8 index and G8 modified index were assessed at the first geriatric oncology visit during the GA. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and positive and negative likelihood ratio were estimated. The accuracy of the three tools was analysed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results Among 269 included patients (mean [SD] age, 81.3 years [5.9]; 55% women, 94.4% solid tumors; 39.4% with metastasis), 252 (93.7%) had impaired GA. With the GS threshold of 1 m/s, sensitivity was 79.4% (95% CI, 73.8-84.2), specificity 64.7% (38.3-85.8), and AUC 82.0 (74.0-90.0). The corresponding values for the G8 index were 90.1% (85.7-93.5), 35.3% (14.2-61.7), and 79.0 (70.0-88.0) and G8 modified index were 89.3% (84.8-92.8), 64.7% (38.3-85.8), and 84.0 (74.0-92.0). Conclusions GS < 1 m/s with a single measure could be used as a new screening tool for detecting vulnerability in older cancer outpatients. This first external validation of the G8 modified index was very good.

Carrefour des spécialitésÉvaluation gériatrique en oncologie : pour quels patients ?Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in elderly with cancer: For whom?

Scientific societies recommend the implementation of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in cancer patients aged 70 and older. The EGA is an interdisciplinary multidimensional diagnostic process seeking to assess the frail older person in order to develop a coordinated plan of treatment and long-term follow-up. Identification of comorbidities and age-induced physiological changes that may increase the risk of anticancer treatment toxicities is essential to better assess the risk-benefit ratio in elderly cancer patients. The systematic implementation of a CGA for each patient is difficult to perform in daily practice. Therefore, it is recommended to screen vulnerable patients who will benefit from a complete CGA. Our work presents the vulnerability screening tools validated by at least two independent studies in a cancer elderly population setting. Among seven screening tools, the G8 and the VES13 are the most effective, and have been validated specifically in older population with cancer. The G8 is recommended by scientific societies and the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) because of its easy implementation in daily clinical practice, its high sensitivity and fair specificity. Although studies are underway to improve its performance, the G8 is currently the simplest tool to routinely identify older cancer patients who should have a complete assessment in geriatric oncology.

32. Un myxofibrosarcome de haut grade de la cuisse chez une patiente âgée

Fiche Situations de soins : Madame M., âgee de 80 ans, est hospitalisee en medecine geriatrique pour une perte d’autonomie en lien avec l’evolution d’une masse tumorale de la cuisse gauche. L’aspect clinique de cette tumeur rare des tissus mous est exemplaire. (R.E.)

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in Cancer Patients

Approximately 60% of cancers are diagnosed in patients 65 years and older. Older patients with cancer represent therapeutic challenges because they are a heterogenous population with various combinations of comorbidities, organ-specific physiologic changes, disabilities, and geriatric syndromes. Scientific societies recommend a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) to detect multidomain health problems potentially associated with adverse outcomes, to guide decision-making about cancer treatments, and to introduce interventions effective for health issues that may be reversible. Based on validated tools, CGA is used to systematically assess functional, nutritional, cognitive, emotional, and social status as well as comorbidities in patients. It allows for (1) detecting numerous unrecognized health problems existing in parallel with the cancer, (2) implementing tailored and individualized geriatric interventions effective for health problems that may be reversible, (3) identifying geriatric factors and comorbidities competing with the cancer in terms of mortality risk, and (4) identifying geriatric prognostic factors in terms of treatment feasibility and toxicity risk. Thus, CGA can help oncologists identify older patients with cancer who could benefit from optimal anticancer treatment and those who could benefit from adapted treatment.

Recherche-action et formation dans une unité de court séjour oncogériatrique

A participative action research project was undertaken in a geriatric oncology hospital unit. It resulted in the training of paramedical staff regarding the specific care to be provided to elderly people with cancer.

L’évaluation gériatrique et les scores pronostiques chez le patient âgé atteint de cancer : une aide à la décision thérapeutique ?

Cancer is a disease of the elderly as demonstrated by the epidemiological evolution of Western countries. Indeed, two third of cancers newly diagnosed occur over 65 years. However, older cancer patients have been often excluded from clinical trials in oncology and the extrapolation of cancer treatments in this population remains difficult in practice. Scientific societies recommend that a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) be performed in patients aged 70 and over and selected using screening tools for frailty such as the G8 index. The CGA allows to detect aging-related vulnerabilities in various domains (comorbidities, polypharmacy, autonomy, nutrition, mobility, cognition, mood, social) and associated with adverse outcomes during cancer treatment (reduced overall survival, perioperative complications, toxicity-related chemotherapy). The CGA is allow to elaborate a personalized treatment plan in geriatric oncology. However, to date, no algorithms based on CGA is validated to guide therapeutic decision in geriatric oncology. The collaboration between geriatrician and oncologist remains essential to elaborate an appropriate therapeutic strategy and limit the situations of over- and under-treatment. This article presents the set of tools and scores used in geriatric oncology to guide the therapeutic decision.

Coronary Flow Interruption Following Balloon Rupture in an Elderly Patient

As a result of the increased life expectancy, elderly with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) referred to coronary catheterization facilities for emergency percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) increase in numbers. Whereas PCI has proven effective in this setting, management of elderly with ACS remains a challenging issue. Concerns about benefit-risk ratio include physiological age and associated co-morbidities such as renal and/or cognitive impairment.