[Geriatric assessment and prognostic scores in older cancer patient: Additional support to the therapeutic decision?]

The VES-13 and G-8 tools as predictors of toxicity associated with aromatase inhibitors in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer in elderly patients: A single-center study

Background

Adjuvant hormone treatment of postmenopausal breast cancer is mainly based on aromatase inhibitors. Adverse events associated with such class of drugs are particularly severe in elderly patients. Therefore, we investigated the possibility of ab initio predict which elderly patients could encounter toxicity.

Methods

In light of national and international oncological guidelines recommending the use of screening tests for multidimensional geriatric assessment in elderly patients aged ≥70 years and eligible for active cancer treatment, we assessed whether the Vulnerable Elder Survey (VES)-13 and the Geriatric (G)-8 could be predictors of toxicity associated with aromatase inhibitors. Seventy-seven consecutive patients aged ≥70 diagnosed with non-metastatic hormone-responsive breast cancer and therefore eligible for adjuvant hormone therapy with aromatase inhibitors, were screened with the VES-13 and the G-8, and underwent a six-monthly clinical and instrumental follow-up in our medical oncology unit, from September 2016 to March 2019 (30 months). Said patients were identified as vulnerable (VES-13 score ≥3 or G-8 score ≤14) and fit (VES-13 score <3 or G-8 score >14). The likelihood of experiencing toxicity is greater among vulnerable patients.

Results

The correlation between the VES-13 or the G-8 tools and the presence of adverse events is equal to 85.7% (p = 0.03). The VES-13 demonstrated 76.9% sensitivity, 90.2% specificity, 80.0% positive predictive value, 88.5% negative predictive value. The G-8 demonstrated 79.2% sensitivity, 88.7% specificity, 76% positive predictive value, 90.4% negative predictive value.

Conclusion

The VES-13 and the G-8 tools could be valuable predictors of the onset of toxicity associated with aromatase inhibitors in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer in elderly patients aged ≥70.

[Short-term results of video-assisted lung cancer surgery in octogenarians]

INTRODUCTION

Due to an increase in life expectancy, onco-pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons are more frequently faced with octogenarian patients with lung cancer. In this age group, treatment modalities may need to be revised because of the increasing presence of comorbidities. Surgery remains the reference treatment for early stage disease, but mortality rates and postoperative complications are higher in this group of patients. One of the solutions to reduce the operative risk would be to develop videoassisted thoracoscopic pulmonary resection surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of this form of lung cancer surgery in octogenarians.

METHODS

All patients 80 years old or more who underwent videoassisted lung cancer surgery from 2014 to 2018 at Lyon University Hospital were included. Wedge resections and diagnostic procedures were excluded.

RESULTS

Nineteen patients (13 men, 6 women) were included. The median age was 82 years old. All patients had undergone videoassisted lobectomy. Three patients required conversion to thoracotomy (15.8%). All patients underwent complete resection (R0). One patient had N1 lymph node involvement, all others were N0. The postoperative complication rate was 68.4%, the majority of which were grade II of the Clavien classification. Perioperative mortality was 5.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Videoassisted lung cancer resection in a selected population of octogenarians is associated with satisfactory short-term results. It is reasonable to favour minimally invasive techniques in this population, even if the proof of their superiority has not yet been firmly established.

Effectiveness of Multi-Prognostic Index in older patients with advanced malignancies treated with immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

Older adults with cancer are less likely to be offered treatment for cost-benefit concern. The Multi-Prognostic Index (MPI) has been validated in various clinical settings for survival estimation. We aimed to evaluate MPI as a screening tool for older adults with cancer eligible to receive immunotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Older adults with advanced or metastatic cancer, admitted to the Oncology Day Hospital of the University Hospital of Pisa from January 2017 to May 2018, eligible to receive immunotherapy were prospectively enrolled. In addition to routine oncological evaluation, each patient received a comprehensive geriatric assessment with MPI calculation. Overall survival (Cox-adjusted curve) was stratified by tertiles of MPI score. Drug toxicity was assessed according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (Version 4.03: June 14, 2010).

RESULTS

Seventy-nine patients [26.6% women, mean age (±SD) 74.0 ± 6.1 years] were enrolled with the following diagnosis: melanoma (51.9%), non-small cell lung cancer (25.3%), renal cell cancer (12.7%), urothelial cancer (8.9%) and Merkel cell carcinoma (1.2%). Median follow-up was 7 months (range 1-35). The patients' survival rate resulted progressively longer proceeding from the first to the third MPI tertile [HR 1.76 (0.49-6.31) Vs 2nd tertile, p < 0.05; HR 5.33 (1.68-16.89) Vs 3rd tertile, p < 0.01].

CONCLUSIONS

MPI score is an effective tool for the stratification of older patients with cancer eligible for immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors. Further studies are required to achieve conclusive remarks on MPI usefulness in different underlying tumor types.