Unmet supportive care needs of older adults with advanced cancer.

Authors

null

Brandon Temel

Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA

Brandon Temel , Margaret Ruddy , Emily Olson , Samantha M.C. Moran , Charn-Xin Fuh , Ardeshir Hashmi , Erin Scott , Areej El-Jawahri , Jennifer S. Temel , Ryan David Nipp

Organizations

Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Research Funding

Other

Background: Cancer disproportionately affects older adults, yet research defining the supportive care needs of these patients is lacking. We sought to examine associations between geriatric impairments, quality of life (QOL), and physical and psychological symptom burden in older adults with newly diagnosed incurable gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients age ≥70 within 8 weeks of diagnosis of incurable GI cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital from 10/2015-11/2016. We used surveys to assess geriatric impairments (Vulnerable Elders Survey-13 [range 0-10, scores ≥3 identify patients with impairments), QOL (EORTC QLQ-C30 [range 0-100, higher scores indicate better QOL]), physical symptoms (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [range 0-10, higher scores indicate greater symptom burden]) and psychological symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale, [range 0-15, higher scores indicate greater depression symptoms]). We used descriptive statistics to determine differences in patient characteristics by the presence or absence of geriatric impairments. We used linear regression adjusted for age, employment, cancer type, and comorbidity to examine associations between geriatric impairments, QOL, and physical and psychological symptom burden. Results: We enrolled 50 of 58 (86%) patients approached (mean age = 78.7; 52% with pancreatic cancer). Nearly half (46%) screened positive for geriatric impairments; these patients were older (81.7 vs 76.1, p < .01) and had more comorbid conditions (2.4 vs 1.2, p = .01). On linear regression, patients with geriatric impairments reported worse QOL across all domains (General QOL: B = -28.3, p < .01; Physical: B = -36.8, p < .01; Role: B = -36.8, p < .01; Emotional: B = -30.1, p < .01; Cognitive: B = -17.8, p = .03; Social: B = -39.7, p < .01), higher depression scores (B = 5.1, p < .01) and worse fatigue (B = 4.6, p < .01), drowsiness (B = 4.0, p < .01), appetite (B = 3.8, p < .01), and pain (B = 2.7, p = .02). Conclusions: Older adults with advanced cancer experience considerable unmet supportive care needs, particularly those with geriatric impairments. Future research is needed to assess older patients for geriatric impairments and address their unique palliative and supportive care needs.

Disclaimer

This material on this page is ©2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology, all rights reserved. Licensing available upon request. For more information, please contact licensing@asco.org

Abstract Details

Meeting

2017 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Patient and Survivor Care

Track

Patient and Survivor Care

Sub Track

Geriatric Oncology

Citation

J Clin Oncol 35, 2017 (suppl; abstr 10040)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2017.35.15_suppl.10040

Abstract #

10040

Poster Bd #

29

Abstract Disclosures

Similar Abstracts

First Author: Surbhi Singhal

Abstract

2023 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium

Perioperative changes in geriatric functions of elderly patients undergoing surgical resection for gastric cancer.

First Author: Chie Tanaka

Abstract

2024 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium

Second-line chemotherapy in elderly patients with advanced pancreatic cancer: A mono-institutional retrospective experience.

First Author: Giovanni Trovato

First Author: Takahito Awatsu