Geriatric Oncology Clinic Research Articles

Reducing potentially inappropriate medication use and patient harm in a dedicated geriatric oncology clinic: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction International guidance on conducting medication reviews in older adults with cancer was published in June 2022,[1] and current clinical practices have been outlined by pharmacists working in this field.[2] This process includes assessing for drug-drug interactions (DDIs), potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), and assessing anticholinergic burden (ACB), all of which have been associated with poorer outcomes in older adults with cancer.[2] Since July 2022, the Geriatric Oncology Assessment and Liaison (GOAL) Clinic in our tertiary cancer centre has offered a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) to patients ≥70 years, which includes a comprehensive geriatric pharmacological assessment (CGPA), performed by the primary author. Aim Identify pharmacist interventions that resulted in a reduction of medication use in older adults attending a geriatric oncology clinic. Methods Data were collected between July 2022 and September 2023 inclusive. Patients who attended the GOAL clinic consented and underwent a CGPA. The CGPA database was analysed to assess for recommendations that reduced medication usage via two metrics: (i) reduced doses of medications; (ii) deprescribing of medications. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data (Table 1). Results One hundred and seventy four patients (98%) consented to a CGPA. Interventions to reduce medication use occurred in 120 patients (69%). There were 199 total number of interventions, with some patients having more than one intervention. The nature of the interventions are described in Table 1. Conclusion A structured medication review in the form of a CGPA, alongside a multidisciplinary CGA is effective at identifying potential areas to reduce medication usage in older adults with cancer, through appropriate dose reductions and deprescribing strategies. This service is unique as the GOAL clinic is Ireland’s only dedicated geriatric oncology clinic. The utilisation of a clinical pharmacist in a geriatric oncology outpatient clinic can effectively identify opportunities to reduce inappropriate medication, with almost 70% of patients being identified as being prescribed potentially inappropriate medications. This study was limited to the outpatient setting only. Future research should consider the impact of pharmacist review of medications for older adults with cancer at transitions of care.

Comparison of the prognostic value of eight nutrition-related tools in older patients with cancer: A prospective study

ObjectivesThe primary objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare the ability of eight nutrition-related tools to predict 1-year mortality in older patients with cancer. Design, setting and participantsWe studied older patients with cancer from the ELCAPA cohort and who had been referred for a geriatric assessment at one of 14 participating geriatric oncology clinics in the greater Paris area of France between 2007 and 2018. MeasurementsThe studied nutrition-related tools/markers were the body mass index (BMI), weight loss (WL) in the previous 6 months, the Mini Nutritional Assessment, the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), the Prognostic Nutritional Index, the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), the modified GPS, and the C-reactive protein/albumin ratio. ResultsA total of 1361 patients (median age: 81; males: 51%; metastatic cancer: 49%) were included in the analysis. Most of the tools showed a progressively increase in the mortality risk as the nutrition-related risk category worsened (overall p-values <0.02 for all) after adjustment for age, outpatient status, functional status, severe comorbidities, cognition, mood, cancer treatment strategy, tumour site, and tumour metastasis. All the models were discriminant, with a C-index ranging from 0.748 (for the BMI) to 0.762 (for the GPS). The concordance probability estimate ranged from 0.764 (WL) to 0.773 (GNRI and GPS)). ConclusionAfter adjustment for relevant prognostic factors, all eight nutrition-related tools/markers were independently associated with 1-year mortality in older patients with cancer. Depending on the time or context of the GA, physicians do not always have the time or means to perform and assess all the tools/markers compared here. However, even when some information is missing, each nutritional tool/marker has prognostic value and can be used in the evaluation.

Improving timeliness to initial assessment in a geriatric oncology clinic: A quality improvement project

Improving timeliness to initial assessment in a geriatric oncology clinic: A quality improvement project

How representative are participants in geriatric oncology clinical trials? The case of the 5C RCT in geriatric oncology: A cross-sectional comparison to a geriatric oncology clinic

IntroductionFrail older adults make up a substantial portion of the older adult population. However, frail patients are often excluded from randomized controlled trials. This underrepresentation restricts the extent to which trial findings can be generalized to this population. We compared a sample from the Canadian 5C Randomized Controlled Trial investigating comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in the geriatric oncology setting in terms of frailty to patients referred to the Older Adults with Cancer Clinic (OACC) to determine if the trial sample was representative of the normal geriatric oncology practice. Materials and MethodsBaseline CGA data of 5C Trial participants seen at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM), were compared to data from OACC patients that were seen during the duration of the 5C trial (between April 2018 and April 2020) and that satisfied the 5C inclusion criteria. To assess the frailty of samples, sex, age, disease site, comorbidity level, medical optimization, social supports, functional status, falls risk, nutrition, cognition, and mood were compared between 5C participants and OACC patients using Fisher's exact and independent samples t-test. ResultsA sample of 115 5C participants and 205 OACC patients were included. The mean age of 5C participants and OACC patients was 75.4 and 81.6 years, respectively (p < 0.001). The distribution of disease sites was significantly different between the samples (p < 0.001) and OACC patients were also significantly more impaired compared to 5C participants in comorbidity (23.4% versus 10.4% high comorbidity) (p = 0.001), IADL dependence (55.1% versus 42.6%) (p = 0.036), impaired physical function (70.6% versus 31.3%) (p < 0.001), falls risk (67.8% versus 27%) (p < 0.001), impaired nutrition (55.6% versus 40.9%) (p = 0.014), and cognition (47.2% versus 10%) (p < 0.001). There were no differences in sex, medication optimization, poor social supports, and impaired mood between the samples. DiscussionThe 5C sample was less frail and younger than patients seen in the geriatric oncology clinic. Finding strategies to address barriers to the inclusion of frailer older adults is important to increase their representation in future trials to allow findings to be generalized to this vulnerable population.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov # NCT03154671

Potentially inappropriate medications, their adverse events, and impact on geriatric vulnerabilities, frailty, and survival in older Indian patients with cancer: A retrospective observational study

Background: Older adults often have chronic diseases for which they receive multiple drugs, which may be potentially inappropriate. Objectives: We aimed to describe the potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) leading to adverse drug events (ADEs) in older patients with cancer. Our secondary objectives were to evaluate the association of nutrition, cognition, and frailty with PIM-related ADEs and to assess the impact of PIM-related ADEs on overall survival (OS). We also investigated the cut-off for defining polypharmacy as related to ADEs. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective observational study on patients with cancer aged 60 years and over who were assessed in the geriatric oncology clinic at the Tata Memorial Hospital (Mumbai, India) from June 2018 to August 2022. Medications, PIM assessment, nutrition (assessed by Mini Nutritional Assessment [MNA]), cognition (assessed by Mini Mental State Examination [MMSE] and Hindi Mental State Examination), and frailty (assessed by the Clinical Frailty Scale [CFS]) were extracted from the geriatric oncology clinic database. PIMs were identified using the Beers criteria, European Union-7 (EU[7])-PIM, Screening Tool of Older person’s Prescriptions/Screening tool to Alert to Right Treatment (STOPP/START), Fit fOR The Aged (FORTA), and PRISCUS list. Results: In total, 1472 patients were assessed in the geriatric oncology clinic, of which 823 (55.9%) were enrolled in the study. There were 1287 PIMs detected in 823 patients, of which 431 (33.5%) led to ADEs and 856 (66.5%) did not. Proton pump inhibitors and tramadol were the most common PIMs identified. ADEs were noted in 54 (14.7%) patients on proton pump inhibitors and in 145 (61.1%) patients on tramadol. ADEs were significantly associated with malnutrition, lower cognition, and frailty. The median MNA score in patients without and with ADEs was 20.5 (interquartile range [IQR], 17.5-24.0) and 19.5 (IQR, 15.5–23.5), respectively; P, 0.001. The median MMSE score for the patients without and with ADEs was 28 (IQR, 26-29) and 27 (IQR: 25-29), respectively; P, 0.001. The median CFS scores for the patients without and with ADEs were 3 (IQR, 2-4) and 4 (IQR, 3-5), respectively; P &lt; 0.001. The median OS in patients without and with ADEs was 13.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.64-17.87) and 10.2 months (95% CI, 8.80-12.85), respectively; P, 0.002. The optimal cut-off for polypharmacy leading to ADEs was 4.5 medications. Conclusions: There is a dire need to recognize and appropriately manage PIMs in older patients with cancer as PIM-related toxicities may negatively impact survival. Monitoring PIMs and following the recommendations to optimize the dose, avoid the drug, and find alternatives may improve the oncologic outcomes. Future studies should focus on adding a control group of patients not on PIMs, following up on PIM after recommendations, and investigating the impact of these recommendations on oncologic outcomes (Clinical Trials Registry-India: CTRI/2020/04/024675).

Predictive significance of inflammatory markers in the survival of older Indian patients with cancer: a single-center prospective analysis.

To evaluate the prognostic impact of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) on overall survival (OS) among Indian older patients with cancer. This observational study was conducted in the geriatric oncology clinic of Tata Memorial Hospital (India). We included all patients who underwent a geriatric assessment (GA) and had a complete blood count available for analysis. The NLR was dichotomized at 3.5, PLR and LMR at the median. Our primary study outcome was OS. Between June 2018 and November 2021, 786 patients were enrolled (median age: 69 years). The most common primary tumour was lung (308, 39.5%), followed by gastrointestinal (261, 33.5%). Metastatic disease was present in 54.3% of patients. Univariate analysis revealed that patients with NLR >3.5 had shorter OS (9.1 months) than NLR <3.5 (15.7 months) (HR: 1.56). Similarly, patients with PLR >183.5 had reduced OS (9.3 months) compared to PLR <183.5 (16.6 months) (HR: 1.56). Conversely, patients with LMR >3.1 showed better OS (14.2) compared to LMR <3.1 (9.8 months) (HR: 0.74). After adjusting for age, performance status, primary tumour, metastatic status and GA-derived factors (function, nutrition and cognition), NLR (HR: 1.25, 95%CI: 1.03-1.52), PLR (HR: 1.34, 95%CI: 1.11-1.63) and LMR (HR: 0.79, 95%CI: 0.65-0.95) were associated with OS. In our study of older cancer patients, we identified three key inflammatory markers (NLR >3.5, PLR >183.5, LMR <3.1) as strong predictors of poor OS. These markers remain predictive even after accounting for traditional prognostic factors and GA-derived scales.

Performance of potentially inappropriate medications assessment tools in older Indian patients with cancer.

Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use are common problems in older adults. Safe prescription practices are a necessity. The tools employed for the identification of PIM sometimes do not concur with each other. A retrospective analysis of patients ≥60 years who visited the Geriatric Oncology Clinic of the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India from 2018 to 2021 was performed. Beer's-2015, STOPP/START criteria v2, PRISCUS-2010, Fit fOR The Aged (FORTA)-2018, and the EU(7)-PIM list-2015 were the tools used to assess PIM. Every patient was assigned a standardized PIM value (SPV) for each scale, which represented the ratio of the number of PIMs identified by a given scale to the total number of medications taken. The median SPV of all five tools was considered the reference standard for each patient. Bland-Altman plots were utilized to determine agreement between each scale and the reference. Association between baseline variables and PIM use was determined using multiple logistic regression analysis. Of the 467 patients included in this analysis, there were 372 (79.66%) males and 95 (20.34%) females with an average age of 70 ± 5.91 years. The EU(7)-PIM list was found to have the highest level of agreement given by a bias estimate of 0.010, the lowest compared to any other scale. The 95% CI of the bias was in the narrow range of -0.001 to 0.022, demonstrating the precision of the estimate. In comparison, the bias (95%) CI of Beer's criteria, STOPP/START criteria, PRISCUS list, and FORTA list were -0.039 (-0.053 to -0.025), 0.076 (0.060 to 0.092), 0.035 (0.021 to 0.049), and -0.148 (-0.165 to -0.130), respectively. Patients on polypharmacy had significantly higher PIM use compared to those without (OR = 1.47 (1.33-1.63), p = <0.001). The EU(7)-PIM list was found to have the least bias and hence can be considered the most reliable among all other tools studied.

Defining an Abnormal Geriatric Assessment: Which Deficits Matter Most?

At present, there is no clear definition of what constitutes an abnormal geriatric assessment (GA) in geriatric oncology. Various threshold numbers of abnormal GA domains are often used, but how well these are associated with treatment plan modification (TPM) and whether specific GA domains are more important in this context remains uncertain. A retrospective review of the geriatric oncology clinic database at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada, including new patients seen for treatment decision making from May 2015 to June 2022, was conducted. Logistic regression modelling was performed to determine the association between various predictor variables (including the GA domains and numerical thresholds) and TPM. The study cohort (n = 736) had a mean age of 80.7 years, 46.1% was female, and 78.3% had a VES-13 score indicating vulnerability (≥3). In the univariable analysis, the best-performing threshold number of abnormal domains based on area under the curve (AUC) was 4 (AUC 0.628). The best-performing multivariable model (AUC 0.704) included cognition, comorbidities, and falls risk. In comparison, the multivariable model with the sole addition of the threshold of 4 had an AUC of 0.689. Overall, an abnormal GA may be best defined as one with abnormalities in the domains of cognition, comorbidities, and falls risk. The optimal numerical threshold to predict TPM is 4.

Correlation of the Geriatric Assessment with Overall Survival in Older Patients with Cancer

AimsGlobal guidelines recommend that all older patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy should undergo a geriatric assessment. However, utilisation of the geriatric assessment is often constrained by its time-intensive nature, which limits its adoption in settings with limited resources and high demand. There is a lack of evidence correlating the results of the geriatric assessment with survival from the Indian subcontinent. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to assess the impact of the geriatric assessment on survival in older Indian patients with cancer and to identify the factors associated with survival in these older patients. Materials and methodsThis was an observational study, conducted in the geriatric oncology clinic of the Tata Memorial Hospital (Mumbai, India). Patients aged 60 years and older with cancer who underwent a geriatric assessment were enrolled. We assessed the non-oncological geriatric domains of function and falls, nutrition, comorbidities, cognition, psychology, social support and medications. Patients exhibiting impairment in two or more domains were classified as frail. ResultsBetween June 2018 and January 2022, we enrolled 897 patients. The median age was 69 (interquartile range 65–73) years. The common malignancies were lung (40.5%), oesophagus (31.9%) and genitourinary (12.1%); 54.6% had metastatic disease. Based on the results of the geriatric assessment, 767 (85.4%) patients were frail. The estimated median overall survival in fit patients was 24.3 (95% confidence interval 18.2–not reached) months, compared with 11.2 (10.1–12.8) months in frail patients (hazard ratio 0.54; 95% confidence interval 0.41–0.72, P < 0.001). This difference in overall survival remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, primary tumour and metastatic status (hazard ratio 0.56; 95% confidence interval 0.41–0.74, P < 0.001). In the patients with a performance status of 0 or 1 (n = 454), 365 (80.4%) were frail; the median overall survival in the performance status 0–1 group was 33.0 months (95% confidence interval 24.31–not reached) in the fit group versus 14.4 months (95% confidence interval 12.25–18.73) in the frail patients (hazard ratio 0.50; 95% confidence interval 0.34–0.74, P = 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the geriatric assessment domains that were predictive of survival were function (hazard ratio 0.68; 95% confidence interval 0.52–0.88; P = 0.003), nutrition (hazard ratio 0.64; 95% confidence interval 0.48–0.85, P = 0.002) and cognition (hazard ratio 0.67; 95% confidence interval 0.49–0.91, P = 0.011). DiscussionThe geriatric assessment is a powerful prognostic tool for survival among older Indian patients with cancer. The geriatric assessment is prognostic even in the cohort of patients thought to be the fittest, i.e. performance status 0 and 1. Our study re-emphasises the critical importance of the geriatric assessment in all older patients planned for cancer-directed therapy.

SIOG2023-4-P-257 - A global perspective of medication reviews by pharmacists in geriatric oncology clinics

SIOG2023-4-P-257 - A global perspective of medication reviews by pharmacists in geriatric oncology clinics

Implementing the 4 Ms in a geriatric oncology clinic to create age friendly cancer care

BackgroundOver 50 % of cancers occur in people aged 70 and older, and 60 % of all cancer deaths occur in this population. Cancer care for the older adult is complex related to comorbidities, age related changes and various social needs. They also may experience cognitive and physical limitations during their cancer journey. At Moffitt Cancer Center, 49 % of patients seen in clinic, in hospital, in diagnostic and procedure areas are 65 years of age and over. The purpose of this quality project was to craft age friendly cancer care utilizing the 4 Ms framework as a roadmap to enterprise spread at an NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. MethodsEach new patient to the Senior Adult Oncology Program receives geriatric screening with SAOP-3, Timed up and Go and asked, “what matters most”. The SAOP-3 Geriatric screening tool includes domains for screening depression and cognitive impairment. High risk medications prompt a pharmacy consult for deprescribing opportunities. ResultsSince becoming recognized as an AFHS, the 4 M's have been implemented in all inpatient units at 2 hospitals and continue to spread to ambulatory clinics on 4 outpatient sites. Further enterprise spread totals over 5500 geriatric oncology patients were screened utilizing the SAOP-3 screening tool.

Prevalence and factors associated with frailty among older Indian adults with cancer: A single-center cross-sectional analytical study from a geriatric oncology clinic in India

Prevalence and factors associated with frailty among older Indian adults with cancer: A single-center cross-sectional analytical study from a geriatric oncology clinic in India

Validity of a self-administered G8 screening test for older patients with cancer

IntroductionThe Geriatric 8 (G8) is a brief cancer-specific tool which screens for patients who require a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). The G8 test assesses patients on eight domains such as mobility, polypharmacy, age, and self-rated health. However, the current G8 requires a healthcare professional (nurse or physician) present to conduct the test, which limits its usefulness. The Self-G8 questionnaire (S-G8) is an adaptation of the original G8 test, assessing all the same domains, with questions modified to be appropriate for patients to self-complete. Our objective was to evaluate the performance of S-G8 compared to the G8 and CGA. Materials and MethodsThe initial S-G8 was designed by our team through review of the literature and questionnaire design principles, and was optimized through feedback from patients over the age of 70. The questionnaire subsequently underwent further refinement after undergoing pilot testing (N = 14). The diagnostic accuracy of the final iteration of the S-G8 was evaluated along with the standard G8 in a prospective cohort study (N = 52) in an academic geriatric oncology clinic at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada. Psychometric characteristics were evaluated including internal consistency, sensitivity, and specificity compared to the G8 and to the CGA. ResultsThere was strong correlation between the G8 and S-G8 scores, with a Spearman correlation co-efficient of 0.76 (p < 0.001). Internal consistency was acceptable at 0.60. The frequency of abnormality (<14 score) for the G8 and S-G8 was 82.7% and 61.5%, respectively. The mean score for the original G8 and S-G8 was 11.9 and 13.5, respectively. The cut-off of 14 for the S-G8 yielded the best combination of sensitivity of 0.70 ± 0.07 and specificity of 0.78 ± 0.14 when compared to the G8. When compared to two or more abnormal domains on the CGA, the S-G8 performed at least as well as the G8 with a sensitivity of 0.77, specificity of 0.85, and a Youden's index of 0.62. DiscussionThe S-G8 questionnaire appears to be an acceptable alternative to the original G8 in identifying older adults with cancer who will benefit from a CGA. Large scale testing is warranted.

Validation of the Onco-MPI in predicting short-term mortality in older Indian patients with cancer

IntroductionThe number of older patients with cancer is increasing exponentially worldwide, and a similar trend has also been noted in India. The Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) strongly correlates the presence of individual comorbidities with mortality, and the Onco-MPI prognosticates patients accurately for overall mortality. However, limited studies have evaluated this index in patient populations beyond Italy. We evaluated the performance of the Onco-MPI index in predicting mortality in older Indian patients with cancer. Materials and MethodsThis observational study was conducted between October 2019 and November 2021 in the Geriatric Oncology Clinic at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, India. The data of patients aged ≥60 years with solid tumors who underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment was analysed. The study's primary aim was to calculate the Onco-MPI for patients in the study and correlate it with one-year mortality. ResultsA total of 576 patients aged ≥60 years were included in the study. The median age (range) of the population was 68 (60–90) years, and 429 (74.5%) were male. After a median follow-up of 19.2 months, 366 (63.7%) patients had died. The proportion of patients classified as low risk (0–0.46), moderate risk (0.47–0.63) and high risk (0.64–1.0) were 38% (219 patients), 37% (211 patients) and 25% (145 patients), respectively. There was a significant difference in one-year mortality rates between the low-risk patients compared to medium and high-risk patients (40.6% vs 53.1% vs 71.7%; p < 0.001). DiscussionThe current study validates the Onco-MPI as a predictive tool for estimating short-term mortality in older Indian patients with cancer. Further prospective studies need to build on this index to obtain a score with greater discrimination in the Indian population.

Comparison of glomerular filtration rate estimating equations in Indian geriatric patients with cancer.

e24025 Background: Accurate estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is essential for dose calculation of certain anticancer drugs. It is particularly important in older cancer patients because of age-related compromise in renal function. 99mTc-DTPA plasma clearance for GFR measurement poses practical difficulties in the elderly and is expensive. Therefore, we investigated the predictive accuracy of eight commonly used eGFR equations against 99mTc-DTPA plasma clearance as the gold standard in Indian geriatric oncology population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the geriatric oncology clinic of Tata Memorial Hospital, India, from June 2021 to November 2022. Age, sex, weight, BUN and serum creatinine were obtained from the hospital records. Serum cystatin C was estimated using sandwich ELISA (Sigma, Germany). GFR was estimated using Cockcroft-Gault (CG); 6 variable MDRD; 4 variable MDRD; CKD-EPI creatinine; CKD-EPI cystatin; CKD-EPI creatinine-cystatin; BIS 1; and BIS 2 equations. GFR was also measured by 99mTc-DTPA plasma technique (Gates’ method). The agreement between different eGFR methods and the measured GFR was analyzed using Bland-Altman test. Results: Out of 311 enrolled patients, 276 patients having full covariate data required for estimation of eGFR by all eight equations were included in the analysis. Majority were males (N = 214). Median age (range) of the patients was 68 (60 – 88) years. Median of measured GFR using 99mTc-DTPA was 71 (17 – 141) ml/min. The performance i.e., bias and 95% Limit of Agreement (LoA) of eGFR equations against measured GFR is shown in table 1. Overall, the BIS 2 equation with least bias of 0.854 and narrowest 95% LoA (-31.23 to 32.94) had the highest agreement with ‘gold standard’. In fact, BIS 2 performed consistently well across age (60-70, 71-80, 81-90) and BMI (≤18.5, 18.6-24.9, ≥25) groups (data not shown). BIS 2 was followed by CKD-EPIcr-cys and CKD-EPIcys with best estimates of bias and 95% LoA (Table 1). Interestingly, all three equations have cystatin C as a covariate. 4vMDRD had the highest bias (-24.08) and least agreement with DTPA (-86.52 – 38.36). Post hoc analysis showed that 59/115 (51.3%) patients who were cisplatin-ineligible (GFR &lt; 60) based on CG were cisplatin-eligible based on BIS 2, while 19/161 (11.8%) patients who were cisplatin-eligible based on CG were actually ineligible as per BIS 2. Conclusions: Equations derived using cystatin C in general, and BIS 2 in particular, have highest predictive accuracy for GFR estimation in older cancer patients. [Table: see text]

An evaluation of the financial toxicity amongst older patients with cancer in India.

12048 Background: Financial toxicity (FT) of cancer is prevalent among older patients in high-income countries, but there is no data about the financial burden faced by older patients in India. This study aimed to explore the FT of cancer among older Indian patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in the geriatric oncology clinic of Tata memorial hospital (Mumbai, India). Patients aged 60 years and above with cancer were included. Patients and their relatives were enquired regarding their occupations, monthly income, and source of funding for cancer treatment. The modified Kuppuswamy scale was used for stratification of socio-economic status (SES). The financial burden was evaluated using the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity-Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (COST-FACIT) scale. In addition, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Financial Well-Being Scale and the 28th question of QORTC QLQ-C30 were used to assess the financial quality of life. Results: Between June 2022 and January 2023, 498 patients were included. The median age was 67 (IQR, 63-72) years, and 360 (72.3%) were male. Common malignancies included gastrointestinal (199, 40.0%), lung (169, 34.0%) and urological (63, 12.7%); 320 (64.4%) had metastatic disease. According to the modified Kuppuswamy scale, most of the participants belonged to upper-lower SES (223, 44.8%), followed by lower-middle (115, 23.1%), upper-middle (97, 19.5%), lower (59,11.8%) and only 4 (0.8%) belonged to upper SES. The source of funding was mostly from family members (264, 53.9%), insurance (72, 14.7%), while 59 patients (12.0%) did not require external support. Sixty-one (12.4%) had to borrow money, twenty-one (4.3%) participants had taken a loan, and 13 (2.6%) had sold their assets for the purposes of treatment. Moderate-severe burden on COST-FACIT was present in 165 (33.1%), whereas 333 (66.9%) experienced no or mild burden. High FT was associated with lower socioeconomic status (OR: 4.69, 95%CI 2.47-8.91, p-value &lt; 0.001), poor financial well-being (OR: 9.35, 95%CI 5.52-16.46, p-value &lt; 0.001) and poor score on Financial quality of life (OR: 5.16, 95%CI 3.39-7.86, p-value &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: In older Indian patients with cancer, there is a high prevalence of financial burden and is associated with poor socioeconomic status, poor financial well-being and poor financial quality of life. More than half the patients depended on their family members to meet the cost of cancer treatment.

Is Karnofsky performance scale a proxy measure of frailty phenotype in older adults with cancer?

e24035 Background: The use of performance status (PS) assessments in patients with cancer is a common practice to determine their suitability for treatment, clinical trial enrollment, and prognosis. The Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) score are widely used clinical instruments for this purpose. However, these tools are subjective and unidimensional, with potential for bias, and were validated in younger patients. KPS has demonstrated greater specificity than ECOG in evaluating PS. Frailty, a dynamic medical syndrome characterized by diminished strength, endurance, and reduced physiological function, is recognized as a predictor of vulnerability to adverse outcomes, especially in older adults with cancer. The Fried Frailty Phenotype (FP) is a widely validated tool that uses both objective and subjective measures to identify frailty based on presence of 3 or more criteria: unintentional weight loss, self-report of exhaustion (fatigue), weakness (measured by grip strength), slow walking speed, and low physical activity. Our study compares physician-rated KPS with FP (fit, prefrail, frail) and looks at correlation of both tools in older adults with cancer. Methods: Data from older adults with solid tumor malignancies referred to the geriatric oncology clinic for geriatric assessment (GA) from January 2015–August 2019 were abstracted. Physician-rated KPS (0-100) were categorized into 3 groups: normal activity, high functioning (80–100); intermediate, capable of self-care but unable to do active work (70); and poor PS, requires considerable assistance (&lt;60). These were compared to FP which classified patients based on the number of frailty criteria present: fit (0), prefrail (1-2), and frail (&gt;3). Frequency data calculation and bivariate analysis were done. Results: 241 older adults with cancer completed a GA, median age of 80 years, 52% female. 57% were frail, 37% prefrail, and 6% fit. 90% of patients with KPS 80-100, had prefrail and frail phenotypes. Patients with KPS 70 had 24% prefrail and 76% frail phenotypes and those with KPS &lt; 60 had 10% prefrail and 90% frail phenotypes. Conclusions: Majority of older patients with prefrail and frail phenotypes were assessed as high functioning (KPS 80-100). KPS is an inadequate substitute for FP and should not be used alone in assessing functional status of older adults with cancer.

Implementation of clinical recommendations from the geriatric oncology clinic

IntroductionWhile evidence on the value of routine geriatric assessment (GA) in cancer care for older patients is growing, there is limited data on the geriatric oncology (GO) clinic's specific recommendations and how they are implemented. In this study, we aimed to assess and evaluate the implementation of recommendations from the GO clinic at Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, Canada, within six months of the initial visit. Materials and MethodsA retrospective chart review was conducted on 100 consecutive adults age 65+ visiting the GO clinic from 2018 to 2019. For each patient, we evaluated the number and type of recommendations from the GO clinic. Recommendations were grouped based on clinical judgement. Of the recorded recommendations, we measured the rate of implementation within six months of the initial visit including who implemented the recommendations and why recommendations were not implemented. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. ResultsOne hundred patients visiting the GO clinic (mean age of 80.5 years, 62% male, 52% with planned curative intent, with the genitourinary site being most common) received a median of six recommendations (range of 2–12), regardless of sex, cancer stage, cancer site, and treatment intent. Medication optimization (27%), patient education (26%), and referral to allied health (14%) were the top recommendations from the GO clinic. At six-month follow-up, 83% of all recommendations were implemented, of which 94% were performed by the GO clinic team. Patient education was implemented at a 100% rate by the GO clinic at the time of initial assessment. GO follow-up visit and other diagnostic tests (hearing test, vision test) were the recommendations with the lowest implementation rates, at 51% and 31%, respectively. The most common reasons for recommendations not being implemented were patient transfer to palliative care/death and patient declining recommendations due to busy appointment schedules. DiscussionA median of six recommendations were made per patient. The vast majority of recommendations were implemented, predominantly by the GO team. Overall, the study helps evaluate recommendations provided to patients visiting GO clinics, identify potential gaps, and assist with resource planning for optimal cancer care for older adults.

Providing geriatric oncology care using telemedicine for older patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico.

The objective of this study was to describe our experience using readily available telemedicine tools to deliver specialist multidisciplinary care to older adults with cancer at a Mexican medical centre during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between March 2020 and March 2021, patients aged ≥65 years with colorectal or gastric cancer treated at a geriatric oncology clinic in Mexico City were included. Patients were reached via telemedicine utilising readily available apps such as WhatsApp or Zoom. We performed interventions such as geriatric assessments, treatment toxicity assessments, physical examinations and treatment prescription. The number of visits per patient, type of device used, preferred software/app, consultation barriers and the ability of the team to deliver complex interventions were analysed and reported. A total of 44 patients received at least one telehealth visit, with a total of 167 consultations. Only 20% of patients had webcam-equipped computers, and 50% of visits were performed using a caregiver's device. Seventy-five percent of visits took place using WhatsApp, and 23% using Zoom. The average visit lasted 23 minutes, with only 2% not completed due to technical issues. A geriatric assessment was successfully conducted in 81% of telemedicine visits, and chemotherapy was prescribed remotely in 32%. The use of telemedicine is possible in older adults with cancer living in developing countries and with little previous exposure to digital technology using readily available platforms such as WhatsApp. Healthcare centres in developing countries should make efforts to enhance the use of telemedicine, particularly for vulnerable populations such as older adults with cancer.

Unmet Needs in Geriatric Oncology.

Nikhil PathiIndia's population is aging, with the number of people aged 60 and over projected to reach 340 million by 2050. This is expected to lead to an increase in the number of older adults with cancer. Geriatric oncology is a rapidly growing field in India that is facing several challenges. Some of these include inadequate access to cancer screening and early detection programs in elderly, leading to late diagnoses and poor outcomes, lack of specialized geriatric oncology services, cancer-specific treatment guidelines and protocols in elderly, limited availability of treatment options due to accessibility, finances and other logistic issues, lack of trained healthcare professionals with expertise in geriatric oncology, lack of awareness, and access to early integrated palliative care services. There are several challenges faced by elderly in this journey like financial dependency, social isolation, difficulty in transportation to healthcare for treatments, and psychosocial aspects attributed to cancer. Awareness about availability of resources, patient assistance programs to reduce financial burdens, education campaigns, use of telemedicine and telehealth services to bypass transportation issues in remote and underserved areas, and integration of geriatric oncology into mainstream oncology services might be some solutions. Additionally, there is a need for more research on the unique characteristics and needs of older cancer patients in India, as well as the development of culturally appropriate interventions to address these needs. Development of India-specific geriatric assessment scales encompassing medical, psychosocial, and functional problems in elderly identifies areas of vulnerability. A multidisciplinary team-based decision-making is required at various levels. There is a need for increased investment in geriatric oncology research, training, and integrated palliative care services in India. Geriatric oncology is slowly being recognized as a separate subspeciality and more geriatric oncology centers and clinics are being set up in major cities in India that should be the way forward.