Palliative care needs: Symptom reporting during geriatric oncology evaluation.

Abstract

184 Background: Although extensive descriptive work has been conducted on the symptom experience in cancer, relatively little is known about the specific palliative care needs for geriatric oncology populations. When all age groups are studied older individuals report less symptoms and the symptom experience of older cancer patients is minimized. Utilizing data collected from two geriatric oncology referral clinics the primary aim of this study was to identify geriatric oncology patients’ symptom reports, the number of symptoms experienced, and interference reported from symptoms. Methods: Patients referred to a geriatric oncology consult clinic were asked to complete the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) total of 13 items. In addition all patients underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment with a battery of tests. Results: 192 patients completed the symptom inventory with a median age of 81 years (range 65-95). 94% of patients reported at least one symptom, >45% reported experiencing 10 of the 13 symptoms (mean number of symptoms =5.7, SD= 3.7). Most frequently reported symptoms were in order: drowsiness, trouble remembering, dry mouth, disturbed sleep, pain, distress, decreased appetitive, dyspnea, and sadness. Severity ratings for individual symptoms M’s= 0.3-2.5, although the complete range of 0-10 was reported. 67% of patients reported that symptoms were interfering with their quality of life, general activity level and walking ability. Conclusions: In contrast to the myth that older cancer patients have minimal symptoms, at time of referral to a geriatric oncology consultation patients report on average experiencing six symptoms which interfere with their quality of life. There is an intersection between geriatric oncology and palliative care and these descriptive findings highlight the importance of systematic symptom assessment for older individuals with cancer to identify needed symptom relief strategies.