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| The following article features coverage from the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Click here to read more of Oncology Nurse Advisor‘s conference coverage. |
CHICAGO — Belgian researchers who studied adherence of older cancer patients to geriatric assessment-based recommendations found that the most frequent recommendations to which patients adhere are consultation with a dietitian, social worker, and geriatrician, according to a study presented at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.1
In a prospective, multicenter study, Lore Decoster, MD, of Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, and colleagues used the G8 questionnaire to screen 8451 patients with cancer aged 70 years and older (median age 78 years) to identify patients in need of a geriatric assessment. The G8 asks about age, appetite and weight loss, and body mass index, mobility, number of medications being taken, mood and cognition, and patient perception of health status relative to other people of the same age. Of the 8451 patients, 5838 with an abnormal G8 (score of 14 or less out of 17) underwent geriatric assessment and were included in the study.
Geriatric assessment and geriatric recommendation data were available for 5631 patients. Geriatric recommendations were proposed for 79% of these patients, Dr Decoster reported. Follow-up data were available for 4167 patients. In 69% of these patients, at least one intervention was performed, she said.
The most frequent recommendation (73%) was consultation with a dietitian for malnutrition, followed by consultation with a social worker for social and functional status problems (54.8%), and a geriatrician for general geriatric problems (42.1%).
The most common interventions were referrals to a dietitian (43.4%), social worker (26.1%), and geriatrician (22.6%). A total of 7569 actions were taken by health care professionals, the most common of which were for nutritional support and supplements, extended home care, and psychological support.
“Our study identified the domains for which geriatric interventions are most frequently recommended and adhered to,” Dr Decoster told attendees, adding that she and her colleagues believe geriatric health assessment allows for a tailored multidisciplinary approach to patient care.
Read more of Oncology Nurse Advisor‘s coverage of the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting by visiting the conference page.
Reference
1. Decoster L, Kenis C, Flamaing J, et al. Adherence to geriatric assessment (GA)-based recommendations in older patients (pts) with cancer. Oral presentation at: 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting; June 2-6, 2017; Chicago, IL.
