Treatment decision-making in elderly women with ovarian cancer: an age-based comparison

A multicenter retrospective study to assess feasibility, safety and efficacy of first-line carboplatin-paclitaxel versus carboplatin monotherapy in a frail, elderly epithelial ovarian cancer population

OBJECTIVE

Underrepresentation of elderly ovarian cancer patients in clinical trials has led to lack of clarity regarding optimal first-line chemotherapy in this cohort. The Elderly Women with Ovarian Cancer (EWOC)-1 trial demonstrated that 3-weekly carboplatin (3wC) resulted in worse survival and feasibility compared with standard 3-weekly carboplatin-paclitaxel (3wCP) in frail, elderly ovarian cancer patients. Our retrospective study compares feasibility, safety, and efficacy of first-line 3wCP and 3wC in a frail ovarian cancer cohort.

METHODS

Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed for newly-diagnosed, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III/IV, ≥70-year-old epithelial ovarian cancer patients, treated by clinician choice with 3wC or 3wCP at two London cancer centers over a 2 year period. Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status provided surrogate markers of frailty. Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v5.0 graded toxicity.

RESULTS

A total of 107 patients were treated with 3wC (n=30) and 3wCP (n=77). Age, performance status, and CCI were significantly different between cohorts, with 3wC patients older (84 vs 75 years, p<0.001), with more comorbidities (median CCI 4 vs 3, p<0.001) and worse performance status (47% vs 17% PS ≥2, p=0.015). Surgical outcomes differed significantly between cohorts, with 20 (67%) 3wC patients not undergoing surgery, compared with 22 (29%) 3wCP patients (p<0.001). Median follow-up was 45.8 months (IQR 38.7-56.3 months). While we observed improved progression-free (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.90, p=0.017) and overall survival (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.73, p=0.001, log-rank test) in a univariate cox proportional hazards comparison between 3wCP and 3wC, this was not significant on multivariate analysis. Completion of six planned chemotherapy cycles was achieved by the majority, with similar discontinuation rates between groups (13% 3wC vs 8% 3wCP, p>0.05). Overall grade ≥3 hematological toxicity rates were similar between regimens (33% 3wC vs 44% 3wCP, p=0.37) with grade ≥3 neutropenia (p=0.019) and grade ≥3 thrombocytopenia (p=0.006) more common with 3wCP and 3wC, respectively. No treatment-related deaths occurred.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrates that standard 3wCP is a well-tolerated, feasible first-line treatment for frail, elderly ovarian cancer patients. Improved survival with 3wCP was not significant when corrected for established clinical prognostic factors.

Do we more often opt for conservative management of ovarian tumors after changing the Dutch national guideline on enlarged ovaries? A nationwide cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Increasing evidence shows that conservative management of ovarian tumors classified as benign, based on ultrasound assessment, is safe. Therefore, conservative management has been adopted as the preferred strategy for certain ovarian tumors assessed as benign in the Dutch national guideline on enlarged ovaries in 2013. The aim of this study was to examine whether implementation of this guideline has led to changes in the number of women/100 000 women undergoing surgery for an ovarian tumor in the Netherlands.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Histopathology reports were requested for all examinations of ovarian and fallopian tube specimens (including cyst enucleations) registered in Palga, the Dutch nationwide pathology databank, from 2011 (before guideline adaptation) and 2019 (after guideline adaptation). Reports on prophylactically removed adnexa, removal for other primary tumors (e.g., endometrial carcinoma), and for patients under 18 years of age, were excluded from the analysis. Interobserver agreement for the inclusion and classification of reports was assessed using Cohen's Kappa analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 34 932 reports were retrieved, 13 917 of which were included in the analysis. In 2011 and 2019, respectively, 96.3/100 000 versus 68.8/100 000 women aged ≥18 underwent surgery for benign ovarian tumors, and 19.6/100 000 versus 18.3/100 000 for borderline and malignant tumors combined. The number of women/100 000 who had surgery for a benign ovarian tumor per 100 000 women declined by 28.5% (p < 0.001) between 2011 and 2019. The largest difference between 2011 and 2019 was observed in the number of women per 100 000 women who underwent surgery for a serous cystadenoma (-40.7%; 20.8/100 000 vs. 12.3/100 000), followed by endometrioma (-33.2%; 14.7/100 000 vs. 9.8/100 000), simple epithelial cyst (-57.3%; 8.4/100 000 vs. 3.6/100 000), and corpus luteum cyst (-57.0%; 4.0/100 000 vs. 1.7/100 000). Cohen's Kappa for the interobserver agreement was 0.96.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of women/100 000 undergoing surgery for a benign ovarian tumor has substantially decreased in the Netherlands when comparing data before and after implementation of the national guideline in 2013, while the number of women/100 000 undergoing surgery for a malignant or borderline tumor remained the same. These findings suggest successful implementation of the updated guideline, and a measurable effect on increased adoption of conservative management for benign-looking ovarian tumors.

Physician compliance with multidisciplinary tumor board recommendations for managing gynecological cancers

Aims: Evaluation of compliance with gynecological multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) recommendations and its impact. Patients & methods: All patient records discussed in our MTB from 2018 to 2020 were analyzed. Results: We analyzed 437 MTB recommendations concerning 166 patients. Each patient was discussed an average of 2.6 (1.0-4.2) times. Of the 789 decisions, the decision was not followed 102 times (12.9%), corresponding to 85 MTB meetings (19.5%). Of these, 72 recommendations concerned therapeutic changes (70.5%), and 30 concerned non-therapeutic changes (29.5%). Of these 85 MTB decisions, 60 (71%) led to a new MTB submission. Noncompliance with MTB decisions decreased the overall survival (46 vs 138 months; p = 0.003). Conclusion: Improving compliance with MTB decisions is crucial to enhance patient outcomes.

Surgical Treatment Outcomes of Gynecologic Cancer in Older Patients: A Retrospective Study

This study aimed to evaluate oncologic characteristics and surgical outcomes in older patients with gynecologic cancers. This retrospective study included patients aged ≥65 years who were diagnosed with gynecologic cancers and underwent surgical treatment between 2005 and 2020. We reviewed the medical records for age at diagnosis, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, comorbidities, postoperative complications, cancer stage, histologic type, surgical treatment, postoperative outcome, and survival rate. Data were compared between groups according to the age at the time of diagnosis: <75 years (young-old) and ≥75 years (old-old). In total, 131 patients were identified: 53 (40.5%) with ovarian or primary peritoneal cancer (OC), 44 (33.6%) with endometrial cancer (EC), 30 (22.9%) with cervical cancer, and 4 (3.1%) with leiomyosarcoma. The patients’ mean age was 70 (range, 65–83) years; 106 (80.9%) were young-old and 25 (19.1%) were old-old. Postoperative complications occurred in 19 (14.5%) patients. Four patients died within six months after surgery, and three died because of disease progression. There was no difference in the survival rates between the two groups among those with OC and EC. Older patients with gynecologic cancers showed good surgical outcomes and tolerable postoperative complications. Therefore, we can safely offer surgical treatment to older patients.

Geriatric impairments are associated with reduced quality of life and physical function in older patients with cancer receiving radiotherapy - A prospective observational study

INTRODUCTION

Quality of life (QoL) and function are important outcomes for older adults with cancer. We aimed to assess differences in trends in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) during radiotherapy (RT) between (1) groups with curative or palliative treatment intent and (2) groups defined according to the number of geriatric impairments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective observational study including patients aged ≥65 years receiving curative or palliative RT was conducted. Geriatric assessment (GA) was performed before RT, and cut-offs for impairments within each domain were defined. Patients were grouped according to the number of geriatric impairments: 0, 1, 2, 3, and ≥ 4. Our primary outcomes, global QoL and physical function (PF), were assessed by The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC) (QLQ-C30) at baseline, RT completion, and two, eight, and sixteen weeks later. Differences in trends in outcomes between the groups were assessed by linear mixed models.

RESULTS

301 patients were enrolled, mean age was 73.6 years, 53.8% received curative RT. Patients receiving palliative RT reported significantly worse global QoL and PF compared to the curative group. The prevalence of 0, 1, 2, 3 and ≥ 4 geriatric impairments was 16.6%, 22.7%, 16.9%, 16.3% and 27.5%, respectively. Global QoL and PF gradually decreased with an increasing number of impairments. These group differences remained stable from baseline throughout follow-up without any clinically significant changes for any of the outcomes.

DISCUSSION

Increasing number of geriatric impairments had a profound negative impact on global QoL and PF, but no further decline was observed for any group or outcome, indicating that RT was mainly well tolerated. Thus, geriatric impairments per se should not be reasons for withholding RT. GA is key to identifying vulnerable patients in need of supportive measures, which may have the potential to improve treatment tolerance. Registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03071640).

Exploring Cost-Effectiveness of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in Geriatric Oncology: A Narrative Review

The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) and the corresponding geriatric interventions are beneficial for community-dwelling older persons in terms of reduced mortality, disability, institutionalisation and healthcare utilisation. However, the value of CGA in the management of older cancer patients both in terms of clinical outcomes and in cost-effectiveness remains to be fully established, and CGA is still far from being routinely implemented in geriatric oncology. This narrative review aims to analyse the available evidence on the cost-effectiveness of CGA adopted in geriatric oncology, identify the relevant parameters used in the literature and provide recommendations for future research. The review was conducted using the PubMed and Cochrane databases, covering published studies without selection by the publication year. The extracted data were categorised according to the study design, participants and measures of cost-effectiveness, and the results are summarised to state the levels of evidence. The review conforms to the SANRA guidelines for quality assessment. Twenty-nine studies out of the thirty-seven assessed for eligibility met the inclusion criteria. Although there is a large heterogeneity, the overall evidence is consistent with the measurable benefits of CGA in terms of reducing the in-hospital length of stay and treatment toxicity, leaning toward a positive cost-effectiveness of the interventions and supporting CGA implementation in geriatric oncology clinical practice. More research employing full economic evaluations is needed to confirm this evidence and should focus on CGA implications both from patient-centred and healthcare system perspectives.

Adherence to European ovarian cancer guidelines and impact on survival: a French multicenter study (FRANCOGYN)

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of the study was to validate the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)-European Society of Gynecologic Oncology (ESGO) ovarian cancer guideline as a method of assessing quality of care, and to identify patient characteristics predictive of non-adherence to European guideline care. The secondary objectives were to analyze the evolution of practices over the years and to evaluate heterogeneity between centers.

METHODS

This retrospective multicenter cohort study of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer reported to the FRANCOGYN database included data from 12 French centers between January 2000 and February 2017. The main outcome was adherence to ESMO-ESGO guidelines, defined by recommended surgical procedures according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and appropriate chemotherapy. Mixed multivariable logistic regression analysis with a random center effect was performed to estimate the probability of adherence to the guidelines. Survival analysis was carried out using the Kaplan-Meier method and a mixed Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

1463 patients were included in the study. Overall, 317 (30%) patients received complete guideline adherent care. Patients received appropriate surgical treatment in 69% of cases, while adequate chemotherapy was administered to 44% of patients. Both patient demographics and disease characteristics were significantly associated with the likelihood of receiving guideline adherent care, such as age, performance status, FIGO stage, and initial burden of disease. In univariate and multivariate survival analysis, adherence to the guidelines was a statistically significant and independent predictor of decreased overall survival. Patients receiving suboptimal care experienced an increased risk of death of more than 100% compared with those treated according to the guidelines (hazard ratio 2.14, 95% confidence interval 1.32 to 3.47, p<0.01). In both models, a significant random center effect was observed, confirming the heterogeneity between centers (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence to ESMO-ESGO guidelines in ovarian cancer was associated with a higher overall survival and may be a useful method of assessing quality of care.

Low preoperative skeletal muscle density is predictive for negative postoperative outcomes in older women with ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To determine the predictive value of lumbar skeletal muscle mass and density for postoperative outcomes in older women with advanced stage ovarian cancer.

METHODS

A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was performed in women ≥ 70 years old receiving surgery for primary, advanced stage ovarian cancer. Skeletal muscle mass and density were assessed in axial CT slices on level L3. Low skeletal muscle mass was defined as skeletal muscle index < 38.50 cm²/m². Low skeletal muscle density was defined as one standard deviation below the mean (muscle attenuation < 22.55 Hounsfield Units). The primary outcome was any postoperative complication ≤ 30 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included severe complications, infections, delirium, prolonged hospital stay, discharge destination, discontinuation of adjuvant chemotherapy and mortality.

RESULTS

In analysis of 213 patients, preoperative low skeletal muscle density was associated with postoperative complications ≤ 30 days after surgery (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.83; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.41-5.67), severe complications (OR 3.01; 95%CI 1.09-8.33), infectious complications (OR 2.79; 95%CI 1.30-5.99) and discharge to a care facility (OR 3.04; 95%CI 1.16-7.93). Preoperative low skeletal muscle mass was only associated with infectious complications (OR 2.32; 95%CI 1.09-4.92). In a multivariable model, low skeletal muscle density was of added predictive value for postoperative complications (OR 2.57; 95%CI 1.21-5.45) to the strongest existing predictor functional impairment (KATZ-ADL ≥ 2).

CONCLUSION

Low skeletal muscle density, as a proxy of muscle quality, is associated with poor postoperative outcomes in older patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. These findings can contribute to postoperative risk assessment and clinical decision making.

Efficacy and Safety of First-line Single-Agent Carboplatin vs Carboplatin Plus Paclitaxel for Vulnerable Older Adult Women With Ovarian Cancer: A GINECO/GCIG Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Single-agent carboplatin is often proposed instead of a conventional carboplatin-paclitaxel doublet in vulnerable older patients with ovarian cancer. Such an approach could have a detrimental effect on outcomes for these patients.

Objective

To compare the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of single-agent carboplatin every 3 weeks, weekly carboplatin-paclitaxel, or conventional every-3-weeks carboplatin-paclitaxel in vulnerable older patients with ovarian cancer.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This international, open-label, 3-arm randomized clinical trial screened 447 women 70 years and older with newly diagnosed stage III/IV ovarian cancer by determining their Geriatric Vulnerability Score; 120 patients with a Geriatric Vulnerability Score of 3 or higher were stratified by country and surgical outcome. Enrollment took place at 48 academic centers in France, Italy, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Canada from December 11, 2013, to April 26, 2017. Final analysis database lock April 2019. Data analysis was performed from February 1 to December 31, 2019.

Interventions

Patients were randomized to receive 6 cycles of (1) carboplatin, area under the curve (AUC) 5 mg/mL·min, plus paclitaxel, 175 mg/m2, every 3 weeks; (2) single-agent carboplatin, AUC 5 mg/mL·min or AUC 6 mg/mL·min, every 3 weeks; or (3) weekly carboplatin, AUC 2 mg/mL·min, plus paclitaxel, 60 mg/m2, on days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was treatment feasibility, defined as the ability to complete 6 chemotherapy cycles without disease progression, premature toxic effects-related treatment discontinuation, or death.

Results

A total of 120 women were randomized. The mean and median age was 80 (interquartile range, 76-83; range, 70-94) years; 43 (36%) had a Geriatric Vulnerability Score of 4 and 13 (11%) had a Geriatric Vulnerability Score of 5; 40 (33%) had stage IV disease. During its third meeting, the independent data monitoring committee's recommendation led to the termination of the trial because single-agent carboplatin was associated with significantly worse survival. Six cycles were completed in 26 of 40 (65%), 19 of 40 (48%), and 24 of 40 (60%) patients in the every-3-weeks combination, single-agent carboplatin, and weekly combination groups, respectively. Treatment-related adverse events were less common with the standard every-3-weeks combination (17 of 40 [43%]) than single-agent carboplatin or weekly combination therapy (both 23 of 40 [58%]). Treatment-related deaths occurred in 4 patients (2 of 40 [5%] in each combination group).

Conclusions and Relevance

This randomized clinical trial shows that compared with every-3-weeks or weekly carboplatin-paclitaxel regimens, single-agent carboplatin was less active with significantly worse survival outcomes in vulnerable older patients with ovarian cancer.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02001272.

MiR-3666 serves as a tumor suppressor in ovarian carcinoma by down-regulating AK4 via targeting STAT3

As a result of metastasis and high recurrence, ovarian carcinoma (OC) is one of the most frequent gynecological carcinomas affecting women up to now. In spite of advances in OC treatments, the molecular mechanisms underlying OC progression are still needed to be deeply understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) with aberrant expressions are widely known to regulate target genes so as to mediate diverse biological activities of tumor cells. In the present study, we inspected the expression profile and latent mechanism of miR-3666 in OC. First of all, our research revealed the down-regulated miR-3666 in OC cells. Furthermore, miR-3666 up-regulation could repress cell proliferation and migration as well as induce cell apoptosis in OC. In addition, we unmasked that miR-3666 targeted STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) and further down-regulated STAT3 expression. Moreover, adenylate kinase 4 (AK4) was transcriptionally enhanced by STAT3, and then miR-3666 restrained AK4 expression by mediating STAT3. In the end, rescue experiments depicted that miR-3666 suppressed the development of OC via STAT3-mediated AK4. We uncovered that miR-3666 inhibited the tumorigenesis and even development of OC via suppressing STAT3/AK4 axis, offering a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for OC.

Personalised treatment for older adults with cancer: The role of frailty assessment

It is widely accepted in clinical practice that chronological age is a poor predictor of treatment tolerance and outcomes in older adults with cancer. Intrinsic vulnerability is more a function of underlying frailty, rather than chronological age. Frailty is a state of increased vulnerability to stressors, such as cancer and its treatment, which can lead to adverse health outcomes for patients. Capturing this heterogeneity in reserve capacity is the cornerstone of management in geriatricmedicine, but remains poorly understood or adopted in radiation oncology. A two-step approach, using a shorter screening tool, followed by full assessment for those who need it, is the mostresourceful way of implementing frailty assessment in radiotherapy departments. It is important for radiation oncology professionals to identify frailty and to use this information in multidisciplinary decision making in order to develop a personalised radiotherapy approach for the older person. There are many ways we can effectively use this information, such as considering treatment fractionation schedules that would limit the burden of travel for those with social frailty, or reviewing the range of modalities at our disposal, which might limit toxicity in the older person at high risk of deterioration during treatment. Frailty assessment is not carried out in many radiotherapy departments presently, but there are many international models to use as exemplars as to how it may be implemented in clinical practice. There are many opportunities for further research and role development in this field at the current time.

Functional recovery in older women undergoing surgery for gynaecological malignancies: A systematic review and narrative synthesis

OBJECTIVES

Older women are increasingly undergoing surgery for gynaecological malignancies. Although survival data is available other outcomes such as functional recovery are less well described. This systematic review and narrative synthesis describes functional recovery after gynaeoncology surgery with respect to baseline characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and Cochrane Library between 1974 to 2018. Two reviewers independently reviewed abstracts/papers for inclusion against the following criteria: Results analysed and presented using narrative synthesis.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies identified (8 Endometrial, 2 Ovarian, 2 Vulval, 3 mixed cancer types). 1/15 used a standalone functional assessment tool, 14/15 used Health-Related Quality of Life tools (EORTC QLQ C30 (8), FACT-G (3), SF-36 (3)) comprising items describing function. More studies showed full recovery to baseline (n = 13) than incomplete recovery (n = 2). Four studies reported a negative association between older age and functional trajectory. Recovery was more likely and occurred faster in minimally-invasive surgery. Few studies reported baseline characteristics including cognition, frailty or comorbidities and none examined associations with functional recovery.

CONCLUSION

There is inadequate data on functional recovery of older women following gynaeoncology surgery. Future studies are needed to identify factors associated with poorer/better outcomes. This may enable identification of opportunities for risk reduction, improve equity of access and better shared-decision making.

Reasons for guideline non-adherence in older and younger women with advanced stage ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the reasons for guideline non-adherence in women with advanced stage ovarian cancer and whether these reasons differ according to age.

METHODS

All women diagnosed with advanced stage ovarian cancer, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) IIb-IV, between 2015 and 2018 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Treatment patterns and reasons for guideline non-adherence were analyzed according to age groups.

RESULTS

4210 women were included, of whom 34%, 33%, 26%, and 8% were aged <65, 65-75, 75-85, and ≥85 years respectively. With advancing age, less women received guideline-adherent treatment (decreasing from 70% to 2% in women aged <65 and ≥85 years respectively) and more women received best supportive care only (ranging from 4% to 69% in women aged <65 and ≥85 years respectively). The most prevalent reasons for guideline non-adherence differed according to age and included patient preference in older women, and functional status and extent of disease in younger women.

CONCLUSIONS

Most older women did not receive guideline-adherent care and patient preference was the most common reason for this decision. This knowledge provides insight in the current treatment decision-making process and highlights the importance of eliciting patient treatment preferences. Further prospective research is necessary to study the underlying motivation for women to decline guideline care and the extent to which shared decision-making influences treatment choice.

Interval Debulking Surgery for Advanced Ovarian Cancer in Elderly Patients (≥70 y): Does the Age Matter?

BACKGROUND

Elderly ovarian cancer (OC) patients are more likely to be managed suboptimally, with worse clinical outcomes as a result. Strategies to decrease morbidity are lacking.Methodology: Consecutive patients with advanced stage OC (IIIC-IV) who were managed in our center between January 2016 and July 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and interval debulking surgery (IDS) according to our institution protocol. We divided patients into two groups: Group 1 (age ≥ 70 years) and Group 2 (age < 70 years). The primary outcome of the study was assessment of peri-operative morbidity amongst two groups.

RESULTS

A total of 153 patients were referred during the study period. 114 patients underwent IDS after NACT (74.5%), 46 in Group 1 and 68 in Group 2. Elderly patients were more likely to receive more than three cycles of NACT prior to IDS compared to younger patients (39% vs. 19%, p = 0.03). Elderly patients were more frequently subjected to Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) as pre-operative assessment (63% vs. 27%, p = 0.002). Optimal/complete resection was achieved in all patients in Group 1 (100%) and in 97% of patients in Group 2. With the exception of higher postoperative cardiac arrhythmias in Group 1 (11% vs. 1%, p = 0.04), no significant differences in 30-day morbidity were observed. No 90-day death in both groups was registered.

CONCLUSION

Older age should not preclude clinicians from offering ultra-radical resection to patients with advanced OC after NACT. In our series, elderly patients received the same treatment with similar outcomes to the younger group. Clinicians should be encouraged to use CPET for patients' selection following NACT.

GERiatric Screening in the treatment of elderly patients with Ovarian Carcinoma (GERSOC): study protocol for a pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial

Background

Approximately 40% of the newly diagnosed patients with advanced ovarian cancer are aged 70 years or older. Standard treatment for advanced disease consists of cytoreductive surgery and combination chemotherapy. In older patients, standard treatment is often withheld or prematurely stopped due to suspected frailty. It remains challenging to distinguish fit elderly patients who can endure standard therapy from frail patients who may benefit from an adapted treatment strategy. As a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) can contribute to the identification of frail patients and improve tailored therapy in this population, screening tests were developed to select those who may benefit from a CGA. However, the use of these geriatric screening tests has rarely been compared with usual clinical care. The GERSOC-trial will evaluate whether geriatric screening in elderly patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer improves treatment completion and quality of life.

Methods

This pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted at a minimum of 20 hospitals in the Netherlands. Hospitals are randomly assigned to geriatric screening care (in which a geriatric screening comprised of the G8 questionnaire and the Timed Up and Go test is performed), or care as usual (in which current usual care is continued). A total of 320 patients aged ≥ 70 years with primary, advanced-stage ovarian carcinoma will be included. Patients considered fit on geriatric screening will receive standard treatment; patients who are considered unfit will be referred to a geriatrician for analysis and treatment advice. The primary outcome is the percentage difference in completed standard and adapted therapies between the two study arms. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, cost-effectiveness and survival.

Discussion

This trial aims to gather evidence for the use of geriatric screening in treatment decision-making in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer. If proven feasible, beneficial and cost-effective, geriatric screening may be implemented in routine clinical practice.

Trial registration

Netherlands Trial Registry, ID: NL6745. Registered on 2 August 2017.

Treatment patterns and associated factors in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: a population-based study

OBJECTIVES

A significant proportion of women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer receive no cancer-directed treatment and limited research has been devoted to this group. This population-based study aimed to gain insight into treatment patterns and trends in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer in the Netherlands and the main reasons for deciding for no cancer-directed treatment.

METHODS

All patients diagnosed with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification IIB-IV, between 2008 and 2016 were identified from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Trends in the number of patients receiving cancer-directed treatment were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with no cancer-directed treatment. The main reasons for no cancer-directed treatment were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 9303 patients were included, of whom 14% (n=1270) received no cancer-directed treatment while 67% (n=6218) received a combination of cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy. Some 15% (n=1399) received chemotherapy only, and 4.5% (n=416) surgical resection or hormonal therapy only. The proportion of patients receiving no cancer-directed treatment was higher in 2014-2016 (16%, n=496/3175) compared with 2008-2010 (11%, n=349/3057, p<0.001). Associated factors with no cancer-directed treatment were higher age, FIGO stage IV, lower socioeconomic status, co-morbidity, and more recent years of diagnosis (p<0.001). Main reasons for no cancer-directed treatment were patient's choice (40%) and poor condition of the patient (29%).

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer not receiving cancer-directed treatment has increased in the last decade in the Netherlands. Patient's choice was the main reason for the decision to undergo no cancer-directed treatment, which indicates patient involvement in the decision-making process. The second most common reason for no cancer-directed treatment was poor condition of the patient, which might indicate careful selection of patients for treatment. Decision-making regarding treatment is well-considered, but more insight is needed, especially from the patient's perspective.