Marie Laurent

Optimal management of elderly cancer patients: usefulness of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment

Background Cancer is common in older patients, who raise specific treatment challenges due to aging-related, organ-specific physiologic changes and the presence in most cases of comorbidities capable of affecting treatment tolerance and outcomes. Identifying comorbid conditions and physiologic changes due to aging allows oncologists to better assess the risk/benefit ratio and to adjust the treatment accordingly. Conducting a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is one approach developed for this purpose. We reviewed the evidence on the usefulness of CGA for assessing health problems and predicting cancer treatment outcomes, functional decline, morbidity, and mortality in older patients with solid malignancies. Methods We searched Medline for articles published in English between January 1, 2000 and April 14, 2014, and reporting prospective observational or interventional studies of CGA feasibility or effectiveness in patients aged ≥65 years with solid malignancies. We identified studies with at least 100 patients, a multivariate analysis, and assessments of at least five of the following CGA domains: nutrition, cognition, mood, functional status, mobility and falls, polypharmacy, comorbidities, and social environment. Results All types of CGA identified a large number of unrecognized health problems capable of interfering with cancer treatment. CGA results influenced 21%–49% of treatment decisions. All CGA domains were associated with chemotoxicity or survival in at least one study. The abnormalities that most often predicted mortality and chemotoxicity were functional impairment, malnutrition, and comorbidities. Conclusion The CGA uncovers numerous health problems in elderly patients with cancer and can affect treatment decisions. Functional impairment, malnutrition, and comorbidities are independently associated with chemotoxicity and/or survival. Only three randomized published studies evaluated the effectiveness of CGA-linked interventions. Further research into the effectiveness of the CGA in improving patient outcomes is needed.

Accuracy of the G-8 geriatric-oncology screening tool for identifying vulnerable elderly patients with cancer according to tumour site: The ELCAPA-02 study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE G-8 screening tool showed good screening properties for identifying vulnerable elderly patients with cancer who would benefit from a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). We investigated whether tumour site and metastatic status affected its accuracy. MATERIALS AND METHODS DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study. SETTING Geriatric-oncology clinics of two teaching hospitals in the urban area of Paris. PARTICIPANTS Patients aged 70 or over (n = 518) with breast ( n= 113), colorectal (n = 108), urinary-tract (n = 89), upper gastrointestinal/liver (n = 85), prostate (n = 69), or other cancers (n = 54). MEASUREMENTS Reference standard for diagnosing vulnerability was the presence of at least one abnormal test among the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), Instrumental ADL, Mini-Mental State Examination, Mini Nutritional Assessment, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatrics, Timed Get-Up-and-Go, and Mini-Geriatric Depression Scale. Sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios of G-8 scores ≤ 14 were compared according to tumour site and patient characteristics. RESULTS Median age was 80; 48.2% had metastases. Prevalence of vulnerability and abnormal G-8 score was 84.2% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 81-87.3) and 79.5% (95% CI, 76-83). The G-8 was 86.9% sensitive (95% CI, 83.4-89.9) and 59.8% specific (95% CI, 48.3-70.4). G-8 performance varied significantly (all p values < 0.001) across tumour sites (sensitivity, 65.2% in prostate cancer to 95.1% in upper gastrointestinal/liver cancer; and specificity, 23.1% in colorectal cancer to 95.7% in prostate cancer) and metastatic status (sensitivity and specificity, 93.8% and 53.3% in patients with metastases vs. 79.5% and 63.3% in those without, respectively). Differences remained significant after adjustment on age and performance status. CONCLUSION These G-8 accuracy variations across tumour sites should be considered when using G-8 to identify elderly patients with cancer who could benefit from CGA.

Geriatric syndromes increased the nutritional risk in elderly cancer patients independently from tumoursite and metastatic status. The ELCAPA-05 cohort study

BACKGROUND & AIMS We assessed the prevalence and risk factors of malnutrition in elderly cancer patients. METHODS We studied a prospective cohort of solid cancer patients aged ≥70 years at referral to two geriatric oncology clinics between 2007 and 2010. Nutrition was evaluated using the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) using validated cut-offs (<17: malnutrition, 17-23.5: at-risk for malnutrition). Patients with non-digestive tumours (breast, prostate, urinary tract) and with digestive (colorectal, upper digestive tract and liver) were analysed separately using multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS Of 643 consecutive patients, 519 had available data (median age, 80; men, 48.2%; metastases, 46.3%; digestive cancer 47.8%). In non-digestive group, 13.3% had malnutrition versus 28.6% in digestive group. The link between metastasis and malnutrition was significantly higher in non-digestive group (adjusted odds ratio [ORa ], 25.25; 95%CI: 5.97-106.8) than in digestive group (ORa, 2.59; 1.08-6.24; p for heterogeneity = 0.04). Other factors independently associated with malnutrition were cognitive impairment (ORa MMMSE ≤ 24 versus > 24 in non-digestive group: 16.68; 4.89-56.90 and in digestive group: 3.93; 1.34-11.50), and depressed mood (ORa MiniGDS ≥1 versus <1 in non-digestive group: 11.11; 3.32-37.17 and in digestive group: 3.25; 1.29-8.15) and fall risk (ORa fall risk versus no fall risk in non-digestive group: 4.68; 1.77-12.37; in digestive group: 100% of malnourished patients were fallers). CONCLUSION We highlighted, in elderly cancer patients, the high prevalence of malnutrition and that geriatrics syndromes (i.e. cognitive impairment, depressed mood and fall risk) were independent risk factors for malnutrition. Moreover, metastatic status was significantly much more strongly associated with malnutrition in non-digestive than digestive tumours.

Performance of Four Frailty Classifications in Older Patients With Cancer: Prospective Elderly Cancer Patients Cohort Study

Purpose Frailty classifications of older patients with cancer have been developed to assist physicians in selecting cancer treatments and geriatric interventions. They have not been compared, and their performance in predicting outcomes has not been assessed. Our objectives were to assess agreement among four classifications and to compare their predictive performance in a large cohort of in- and outpatients with various cancers. Patients and Methods We prospectively included 1,021 patients age 70 years or older who had solid or hematologic malignancies and underwent a geriatric assessment in one of two French teaching hospitals between 2007 and 2012. Among them, 763 were assessed using four classifications: Balducci, International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) 1, SIOG2, and a latent class typology. Agreement was assessed using the κ statistic. Outcomes were 1-year mortality and 6-month unscheduled admissions. Results All four classifications had good discrimination for 1-year mortality (C-index ≥ 0.70); discrimination was best with SIOG1. For 6-month unscheduled admissions, discrimination was good with all four classifications (C-index ≥ 0.70). For classification into three (fit, vulnerable, or frail) or two categories (fit v vulnerable or frail and fit or vulnerable v frail), agreement among the four classifications ranged from very poor (κ ≤ 0.20) to good (0.60 < κ ≤ 0.80). Agreement was best between SIOG1 and the latent class typology and between SIOG1 and Balducci. Conclusion These four frailty classifications have good prognostic performance among older in- and outpatients with various cancers. They may prove useful in decision making about cancer treatments and geriatric interventions and/or in stratifying older patients with cancer in clinical trials.

Optimizing the G8 Screening Tool for Older Patients With Cancer: Diagnostic Performance and Validation of a Six-Item Version

BACKGROUND A multidimensional geriatric assessment (GA) is recommended in older cancer patients to inventory health problems and tailor treatment decisions accordingly but requires considerable time and human resources. The G8 is among the most sensitive screening tools for selecting patients warranting a full GA but has limited specificity. We sought to develop and validate an optimized version of the G8. PATIENTS AND METHODS We used a prospective cohort of cancer patients aged ≥ 70 years referred to geriatricians for GA (2007-2012: n = 729 [training set]; 2012-2014: n = 414 [validation set]). Abnormal GA was defined as at least one impaired domain across seven validated tests. Multiple correspondence analysis, multivariate logistic regression, and bootstrapped internal validation were performed sequentially. RESULTS The final model included six independent predictors for abnormal GA: weight loss, cognition/mood, performance status, self-rated health status, polypharmacy (≥ 6 medications per day), and history of heart failure/coronary heart disease. For the original G8, sensitivity was 87.2% (95% confidence interval, 84.3-89.7), specificity 57.7% (47.3-67.7), and area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC) 86.5% (83.5-89.6). The modified G8 had corresponding values of 89.2% (86.5-91.5), 79.0% (69.4-86.6), and 91.6% (89.3; 93.9), with higher AUROC values for all tumor sites and stable properties on the validation set. CONCLUSION A modified G8 screening tool exhibited better diagnostic performance with greater uniformity across cancer sites and required only six items. If these features are confirmed in other settings, the modified tool may facilitate selection for a full GA in older patients with cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Several screening tools have been developed to identify older patients with cancer likely to benefit from a complete geriatric assessment, but none combines appropriate sensitivity and specificity. Based on a large prospective cohort study, an optimized G8 tool was developed, combining a systematic statistical approach with expert judgment to ensure optimal discriminative power and clinical relevance. The improved screening tool achieves high sensitivity, high specificity, better homogeneity across cancer types, and greater parsimony with only six items needed, facilitating selection for a full geriatric assessment.

Assessment of Solid Cancer Treatment Feasibility in Older Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study

PURPOSE To assess solid cancer treatment feasibility in older patients. METHODS Between 2007 and 2010, 385 consecutive elderly patients (mean age: 78.9 ± 5.4 years; 47.8% males) with solid malignancies referred to two geriatric oncology clinics were included prospectively. We recorded feasibility of first-line chemotherapy (planned number of cycles in patients without metastases and three to six cycles depending on tumor site in patients with metastases), surgery (patient alive 30 days after successfully performed planned surgical procedure), radiotherapy (planned dose delivered), and hormonal therapy (planned drug dose given), and we recorded overall 1-year survival. RESULTS Main tumor sites were colorectal (28.6%), breast (23.1%), and prostate (10.9%), and 47% of patients had metastases. Planned cancer treatment was feasible in 65.7% of patients with metastases; this proportion was 59.0% for chemotherapy, 82.6% for surgery, 100% for radiotherapy, and 85.2% for hormonal therapy. In the group without metastases, feasibility proportions were 86.8% overall, 72.4% for chemotherapy, 95.7% for surgery, 96.4% for radiotherapy, and 97.9% for hormonal therapy. Factors independently associated with chemotherapy feasibility were good functional status defined as Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status <2 (p < .0001) or activities of daily living >5 (p = .01), normal mobility defined as no difficulty walking (p = .01) or no fall risk (p = .007), and higher creatinine clearance (p = .04). CONCLUSION Feasibility rates were considerably lower for chemotherapy than for surgery, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy. Therefore, utilization of limited geriatric oncology resources may be optimized by preferential referral of elderly cancer patients initially considered for chemotherapy to geriatric oncology clinics.

Geriatric assessment findings independently associated with clinical depression in 1092 older patients with cancer: the ELCAPA Cohort Study

We aim to assess the prevalence and associated factors of clinical depression in older patients with cancer.

Impact of Comorbidities on Hospital-Acquired Infections in a Geriatric Rehabilitation Unit: Prospective Study of 252 Patients

OBJECTIVES Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) remain a major source of morbidity and mortality in long-term care units, despite advances in antimicrobial therapy and preventive measures. Our aim was to investigate risk factors for HAIs, especially in the elderly, and to describe the relationship between comorbidities (number, severity, and specific diseases) and HAIs using a comprehensive inventory of comorbidities. DESIGN Prospective cohort study SETTING Geriatric rehabilitation unit in a university hospital in the Paris metropolitan area. PARTICIPANTS Participants were 252 consecutive patients aged 75 years or older (mean age, 85 ± 6.2 years) and admitted between 2006 and 2008. MEASUREMENTS Surveillance of HAI was conducted. A complete inventory of comorbidities was done using the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G). Potential risk factors were evaluated in 2 risk models, one with HAI acquisition, CIRS-G, activities of daily living score less than 10, and at least 1 invasive procedure (yes/no) and the other with HAI acquisition and specific invasive procedures and diseases. RESULTS Of the 252 patients, 97 experienced HAIs, for an incidence of 5.6 infections per 1000 bed-days. The most common HAI sites were the respiratory tract (48%; 65/136) and urinary tract (37%; 51/136). The CIRS-G global score and comorbidity index were higher in patients with than without HAIs. Among HAI categories, respiratory and urogenital diseases were more prevalent in the group with HAIs. In the model combining CIRS-G, activities of daily living score less than 10, and at least 1 invasive procedure, independent risk factors for HAI were CIRS-G index (odds ratio [OR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.13-2.11; P = .005) and invasive procedures (OR, 5.18; 95% CI, 2.77-9.71; P < .001). In the model including specific procedures and diseases, independent risk factors for HAI were intravenous catheter (OR, 7.39; 95% CI, 2.94-18.56; P < .001), urinary catheter (OR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.40-7.88; P = .006), gastrointestinal endoscopy (OR, 3.69; 95% CI, 1.12-12.16; P = .03), pressure sores (OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.04-6.10; P = .03), and swallowing impairment (OR, 3.37; 95% CI, 1.16-9.74; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS This study identified several important risk factors for HAIs. There is a need for HAI prevention via the implementation of infection-control programs, including surveillance, in rehabilitation units.

Interrelations of immunological parameters, nutrition, and healthcare-associated infections: Prospective study in elderly in-patients

BACKGROUND & AIMS Healthcare-associated infections [HAI] are common in elderly individuals and may be related to both nutritional deficiencies and immunosenescence. Here, we assessed whether overall malnutrition and/or specific nutrient deficiencies were associated with HAI via alterations in immune parameters. METHODS Prospective observational cohort study in patients aged ≥ 70 years admitted to the geriatric rehabilitation unit of a teaching hospital in France between July 2006 and November 2008. Clinical and laboratory parameters reflecting nutritional status and immune function were collected at baseline. Flow cytometry was used to assess blood lymphocyte subsets including the naive CD4 T-cell count, naive and memory CD8 T-cell counts, effector CD8 T-cell count, and CD4/CD8 ratio. Patients were monitored for HAI for 3 months or until discharge from the geriatric unit or death. RESULTS Of 252 consecutive in-patients aged ≥ 70 years [mean age, 85 ± 6.2 years], 181 [72%] met French National Authority for Health criteria for malnutrition and 97 [38%] experienced one or more HAI. Patients who subsequently experienced HAI had significantly lower baseline values for energy intake [odds ratio (OR), 0.76; 95% confidence interval (95%CI), 0.59-0.99], serum albumin [OR, 0.43; 95%CI, 0.32-0.58], serum zinc [OR, 0.77; 95%CI, 0.62-0.97], selenium [OR, 0.76; 95%CI, 0.61-0.95], and vitamin C [OR, 0.71; 95%CI, 0.54-0.93]. Associations linking these five variables to HAI were not significantly changed by adjusting for flow cytometry T-cell subset values. CONCLUSION Our results suggest a direct effect of nutritional parameters on HAI rather than an indirect effect mediated by immune parameters.

Les candidoses oropharyngées des personnes âgées

Oropharyngeal candidiasis is a common opportunistic infection of the oral cavity caused by an overgrowth of candida species, the commonest being Candida albicans. The prevalence in the hospital or institution varies from 13 to 47% of elderly persons. The main clinical types are denture stomatitis, acute atrophic glossitis, thrush and angular cheilitis. Diagnosis is usually made on clinical ground. Culture and sensitivity testing should be undertaken if initial therapy is unsuccessful. Predisposing factors of oral candidiasis could be local and/or systemic. Local factors include wearing dentures, impaired salivary gland function and poor oral health. Systemic factors include antibiotics and some other drugs, malnutrition, diabetes, immunosuppression and malignancies. Management involves an appropriate antifungal treatment and oral hygiene. Predisposing factors should be treated or eliminated where feasible. Oral hygiene involves cleaning the teeth and dentures. Dentures should be disinfected daily and left out overnight.