Oral Anticancer Drugs in the Elderly

Adherence to oral anti-cancer therapies in older patients is similar to that of younger patients

Introduction

The use of oral anti-cancer therapies is becoming increasingly common in the management of cancers, raising the question of adherence. The objective of this study was to assess adherence to oral anti-cancer therapies, as well as the impact of various factors that may influence it.

Methods

Patients starting oral chemotherapy (tyrosine kinase inhibitor or cytotoxic) were followed up for 3 months using a medication diary, which was given to the patient by the pharmacist during a multidisciplinary consultation. Adherence was assessed using the diary, as well as by counting the tablets they brought back.

Results

One hundred and fifty patients were included in the study. The main oral chemotherapy agents prescribed were palbociclib (23.3%), everolimus (18.7%), and capecitabine (13.3%). The adherence at the end of the 3 months, by means of dose intensity (i.e. percent of the dose prescribed that has been taken), was 95.5%. No significant difference in adherence was found based on age, sex, family circumstances, health status, co-medication, type of oral therapy, tumor location, number of previous treatment lines, or presence of toxicity. The main reasons for non-adherence were forgetting (50%) and toxicity (21%). Fifty-seven patients prematurely discontinued the study: 40.3% for toxicity and 36.8% for disease progression.

Conclusion

Adherence in this study is high in comparison to literature, which can be explained by close multidisciplinary follow-up. Moreover, no significant difference was observed between younger and older patients.

A Concept Analysis of Oral Anticancer Agent Self-management

BACKGROUND

The rapid development and adoption of oral anticancer agents (OAAs) for cancer management have shifted patients' roles from recipient to owner of their care delivery, assuming their responsibilities for self-managing their OAA treatments at home, while the concept of oral anticancer agent self-management (OAA-SM) has not been well clarified and defined.

OBJECTIVE

This study was to clarify the concept of OAA-SM and identify major components, influential factors, and consequences of OAA-SM, as well as propose a representative conceptual model of OAA-SM.

METHODS

A literature review was conducted concerning the concept and application of OAA-SM. The Walker and Avant method for concept analysis was utilized to guide the examination of OAA-SM.

RESULTS

OAA-SM is a multifaceted and dynamic process that requires continuous adaptation by patients as multiple self-management challenges can emerge throughout OAA treatments. The defining attributes of OAA-SM include OAA adherence, adverse-effect self-management, patient-provider communication, and OAA safe storage, handling, and administration practices. Oral anticancer agent-SM is potentially influenced by a variety of patient-related, OAA-related, and healthcare system factors. Effective OAA-SM is associated with better patient and healthcare outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The clarification of the concept of OAA-SM and the identification of attributes of OAA-SM and their interrelationships contribute to the body of knowledge in OAA-SM.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This concept analysis provides the foundation to increase healthcare providers' understanding of patients' needs for OAA-SM support and guides the development of patient-centered interventions to empower and engage patients and their families in effective OAA-SM, and improve patients' quality of life and care.

Adherence to oral chemotherapy: Challenges and opportunities

Purpose

There is very little data on the effect of combining methods to better predict and improve oral antineoplastic adherence in cancer patients. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive pharmacist intervention at the beginning of oral antineoplastic therapy versus nurse-led control group on adherence.

Methods

This was a prospective, randomized, open-label controlled trial performed in a single center hematology/oncology outpatient service to compare the effectiveness of repetitive pharmacist educational intervention on adherence rates measured at four and eight weeks after prescribing oral antineoplastic medication compared to a nurse-led control group. Both groups included investigator pill counts and self-report adherence questionnaires.

Results

Two-hundred patients were enrolled between 2009 and 2015. Fourteen of the 101 (14%) patients in the pharmacist group and 7 (7%) of the 99 patients in the nurse-led control group dropped out ( p = 0.166). The majority of patients who remained in the study were 90–100% adherent to oral antineoplastic therapy in both groups. The pharmacist group slightly underperformed at Pill Count 2, possibly due to barriers for non-adherence. Statistically significant correlations associated with non-adherence were forgetfulness ( p = 0.009), wanting to avoid side effects ( p = 0.02), feeling depressed or overwhelmed ( p = 0.032), or falling asleep before taking medication ( p = 0.048) in both groups.

Conclusion

The combination of pill count and patient self-report adherence is a way of improving oral antineoplastic adherence. However, significant barriers to adherence were identified such as forgetfulness, wanting to avoid side effects, feeling depressed or overwhelmed, and falling asleep before taking medications.

Toxicity of Cancer Therapies in Older Patients

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

In clinical practice, older patients are often undertreated due to underrepresentation in clinical trials and fear of toxicity. Our objective was therefore to review toxicities that are specific to older cancer patients, to review risk factors in order to help physicians guide their decisions, and to review interventions that can be implemented in routine clinical practice to prevent toxicity induced by cancer therapies.

RECENT FINDINGS

On the whole, reviews report similar number and frequency as well as similar grade 3 or 4 adverse events between subjects older and younger than 65 years. Yet patients included in clinical trials are often not representative of real-life patients and are often fit older cancer patients. Moreover, tolerance to the additive impact of multiple adverse effects is different between older and younger patients. And specific symptoms such as stomatitis may cause a series of consequences such as dehydration, denutrition, renal insufficiency, and adverse events of renally excreted drugs. Older patients are at high risk of toxicity due to many factors but mainly due to the prevalence of frailty in this population that has been estimated to be around 40% increasing the risk of chemotherapy intolerance. As a consequence, interventions must be implemented according to altered domains of comprehensive geriatric assessment in order to improve anticancer tolerance. These interventions are reviewed here.

Oral antineoplastic agents: how do we care about adherence?

AIMS

Oral therapies, including hormone-based or targeted therapies, have recently taken an increasing place in cancer treatment. In this context, a state of the art of the available studies dealing with the adherence of adult patients to oral anticancer treatment is warranted. The purpose of this review is to address (i) the association between assessment methods and measured adherence, (ii) the putative factors related to adherence and (iii) new ways of improving adherence to oral cancer therapies.

METHODS

We conducted a literature-based narrative review of studies obtained from Pubmed using medical subject heading terms and free-text terms combining concepts related to oral anticancer medication and adherence.

RESULTS

The analysis is based on 48 studies published since 1990, mostly assessing hormone-based therapy in breast cancer and targeted therapies in chronic myeloid leukaemia. Various methods of adherence were reported including self-report, medication measurement or combinations of methods. Adherence rates were found to vary from 14% to 100%. Beside patient related-factors, adherence rate discrepancies were found to be dependent on the method used. Furthermore, there was no consensual definition of adherence even regarding the same methods, some of them tolerating a period of interruption during the treatment period. Finally, several studies addressing persistence found a progressive decrease in adherence with time.

CONCLUSION

Adherence to novel oral therapies is a major issue and further research is warranted to standardize adherence assessment in clinical studies better and to define better the most appropriate approaches to improve long term adherence in oncology practice.

Adherence Issues for Oral Antineoplastics

Nonadherence to antineoplastics is a growing concern because of the increasing number of novel oral targeted anticancer therapies. Many of these agents are administered on a chronic continuous schedule for an indefinite period of time where adherence is crucial to achieve optimal disease control and prolong survival. Many factors are known to contribute to medication nonadherence. Prevention, early detection, and management of adverse drug reactions associated with oral targeted therapies require close vigilance. Knowing how to prevent and manage adverse drug reactions will help clinicians develop strategies to promote patient adherence to oral anticancer treatment regimens. Optimal adherence requires a dynamic patient-provider alliance through education, communication, ongoing monitoring, and follow-up.

Overcoming obstacles in accessing unfunded oral chemotherapy: physician experience and challenges

PURPOSE

Previous studies have shown hematologists and medical oncologists may not accept the financial limits set by governing agencies on patient access to oral chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to capture the methods physicians used to overcome barriers to accessing chemotherapeutic regimens for their patients.

METHODS

A total of 640 medical oncologists and hematologists across Canada were surveyed using a 13-item Web-based survey tool. The survey was delivered by e-mail with three follow-up reminders. After a response period of 3 months, results were collated and analyzed with descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Of the 640 invitations, 568 were successfully delivered, and 183 responses were received (response rate, 32.0%). Among respondents, 101 treated solid malignancies (55.2%), 49 treated nonsolid malignancies (26.8%), and 33 treated both (18.0%). To overcome funding barriers, participating oncologists enrolled patients onto clinical trials (90.5%), used compassionate access programs (96.1%), and made special requests to government (91.8%). Other methods included writing false claims on forms to fit funding criteria for drugs (31.1%) and using leftover drug supplies (31.0%). Physicians felt their inability to obtain unfunded medications had a negative impact on their patients' clinical outcomes (56.0%) and psychosocial quality of life (73.0%). Only 28.5% of physicians contacted their governing body with concerns about oral chemotherapy funding.

CONCLUSION

Canadian physicians use numerous methods to obtain unfunded oral chemotherapies, including falsifying claims on access forms and submitting special requests to government agencies. Further study is warranted to explore the disconnection between policymakers and physicians with regard to funding of oral chemotherapies.

[Metronomic chemotherapy in 2011: update and perspectives]

Angiogenesis is crucial for the growth and metastasis of many cancers. A series of new inhibitors of angiogenesis are now in intensive development. Recent preclinical studies suggest that frequent administration of certain conventional cytotoxic agents at low doses increases their putative antiangiogenic activity. Moreover, many clinical trials confirm efficacy of this metronomic chemotherapy in terms of clinical benefice and survival prolongation. Combining metronomic chemotherapy with hormonotherapy, angiogenesis inhibitors and radiotherapy increases efficacy. Many biomarkers are used to predict optimal drugs and appropriate use of them. This review describes experimental and clinical studies published and discuss its potential uses and limits.

Adherence and oral agents with older patients

OBJECTIVE

Oral antineoplastic agents offer multiple advantages in cancer therapies. Thus, understanding issues of adherence to these agents for older adults becomes critical to successful comprehensive care of the older cancer patient.

DATA SOURCES

This analysis of adherence to oral agents among older cancer patients draws on interdisciplinary geriatric and oncologic research reports and clinical reviews.

CONCLUSION

Older adults are at increased risk for poor adherence to oral agents. Barriers to adherence are diverse. Problems emerge from age-related physical changes, comorbid conditions, polypharmacy, and drug interactions. Psychosocial barriers include limited insurance coverage and transportation problems to social isolation and inadequate social support.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Nurses should lead interdisciplinary, individualized plans of care to mitigate barriers and support adherence to cancer therapy.

Polypharmacy in elderly patients with cancer: clinical implications and management

More and more elderly people with cancer are treated in oncology clinics worldwide every year, many of whom have comorbid disorders treated with one or more drugs. Moreover, these patients might also take self-prescribed over-the-counter drugs or complementary and alternative medicines, which they might not tell their doctor about. Initiation of chemotherapy with one or more cytotoxic or targeted agents and drugs for treatment of cancer symptoms or toxic effects related to treatment can result in polypharmacy. We examine the clinical implications of polypharmacy. Challenges for the medical teams who treat elderly patients with cancer include identification of what drugs are actually being taken by the patient, avoidance or management of any adverse effects or drug interactions, and reassessing the patient's overall treatment. We address these issues and propose practical recommendations for management of treatment for elderly patients with cancer.

Elderly and drugs: risks and necessity of rational use

In recent decades, the world has undergone a demographic transformation with a rapid growth of the elderly population, resulting in an increased demand for funds to maintain their health and drug consumption. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes occurring in the elderly can interfere directly in the adverse effects of drugs and increase the risk of intoxication. In addition, there are external factors interfering with the pharmacotherapy of the elderly, such as inappropriate use and the lack of access to information. Many therapeutic classes of drugs should be used with caution or avoided in the elderly population, such as anti-inflammatory and some anti-hypertensive drugs, diuretics and digitalis. If not managed carefully, these medicines can affect the safety and quality of life in the elderly. Thus, the aim of this review was to identify drugs that should be used with caution in elderly patients in order to avoid intoxication and/or adverse drug events.

Expert opinion on the use of first-line sorafenib in selected metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients

The incidence of renal cell carcinoma is increasing globally. Targeted agents offer treatment options that were not available less than a decade ago. However, it is important to carefully select therapy for each individual patient, weighing both the drug efficacy and tolerability profile and patient-related factors, such as adherence, age and comorbidities. Based on our clinical experience in treating patients with renal cell carcinoma, this article offers our opinions on factors that characterize patients for whom sorafenib may serve as a viable first-line therapeutic option.

Experience with sorafenib and the elderly patient

Renal cell carcinoma primarily affects older individuals. Approximately half of all new renal cell carcinoma diagnoses are made in persons 65 years of age or older. Devising a treatment plan for the elderly patient population requires special consideration. Age-related physiological, cognitive, and social characteristics of elderly patients may influence each stage of patient care. Until recently, treatment options were limited for elderly patients with renal cell carcinoma. Sorafenib is the first multikinase inhibitor approved for use in renal cell carcinoma in the United States and Europe. In the phase III Treatment Approaches in Renal Cell Cancer Global Evaluation Trial, sorafenib significantly extended progression-free survival in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, regardless of age. Incidence rates of adverse events were not significantly higher in elderly patients receiving sorafenib than in younger patients. Thus, sorafenib represents an important treatment option for elderly patients with renal cell carcinoma. This report describes particular considerations for physicians to be aware of when choosing a treatment regimen for their elderly patients with renal cell carcinoma and offers recommendations on how to integrate specific management strategies into clinical practice that will optimize the use of sorafenib in the elderly. The strategies focus on patient selection, assessment of quality of life, management of adverse events, and appropriate dose modifications. The goal of these recommendations is to maximize the clinical benefit of sorafenib in the elderly patient population through appropriate use.

Development of fludarabine formulations in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Fludarabine is an antineoplastic agent used in the treatment of hematological malignancies, particularly chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and indolent B-cell lymphoma. Because of its immunosuppressive effects, fludarabine has been added to reduced intensity conditioning regimens. The oral formulation of fludarabine has become widely available. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that an oral dose of 40 mg/m²/d would provide systemic drug exposure similar to the standard intravenous (IV) dose of 25 mg/m²/d. The oral dose can be taken once daily without any dietary restrictions. Dose adjustments are mandatory in patients with renal impairment to avoid increased toxicity. Several noncomparative trials in previously untreated and treated patients with CLL have shown that treatment with the oral formulation demonstrates similar efficacy compared to historical control groups treated with the IV formulation. The tolerability profile of oral fludarabine seems similar to that of the IV formulation. Myelosuppression and infectious complications are the most frequently reported adverse events. Gastrointestinal toxicity is more frequent with the oral formulation, but is usually of mild or moderate severity. Although oral fludarabine makes treatment more convenient, health care workers must be aware of the compliance behavior of each patient.

Pharmacology and therapeutic efficacy of capecitabine: focus on breast and colorectal cancer

Capecitabine (N -pentyloxycarbonyl-5-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine), an oral prodrug of 5-fluorouracil, has provided compelling efficacy data for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and stage III or IV colorectal cancer, both as monotherapy and in combination regimens. The preferential conversion of capecitabine to 5-fluorouracil in neoplastic tissues renders this fluoropyrimidine particularly appealing for clinical use. The enzyme thymidine phosphorylase, which mediates the final step of the capecitabine activation pathway, is expressed in higher concentration in neoplastic than in healthy tissues. This makes capecitabine more tumor specific than other chemotherapeutic agents. Accordingly, capecitabine is generally well tolerated. In particular, the incidence of myelosuppression and alopecia is low, and the most common side effects, hand-foot syndrome and diarrhea, are usually manageable. Given its good toxicity profile, capecitabine was assessed in combination with several chemotherapeutic or biologic agents. In addition, the observation that thymidine phosphorylase is upregulated after treatment with other anticancer drugs, namely taxanes, provided a rationale for the prominent antitumor activity recently observed for the combination of capecitabine with these agents. This review provides an evidence-based update of clinical trials investigating the role of capecitabine in the treatment of breast and colorectal cancer, with special emphasis on pharmacological and safety issues that form the basis of currently used schedules.

Designing ageing conditions in tumour microenvironment-a new possible modality for cancer treatment

While tumour incidence is known to augment with age, paradoxically tumour growth and metastasis were often found to proceed at a slower rate at late ages. This age-related biological behaviour of tumours actually imposes a differential therapeutic approach to the old cancer patient. Several mechanisms of the age-related reduced tumour progression have been demonstrated: decreased tumour cell proliferation, increased apoptotic cell death, decreased angiogenesis and anti-tumoural immune response changes. We postulated that it might be possible to design age-adjusted treatment modalities based on the mechanisms responsible for the reduced tumour progression rate in the aged. Based on these mechanisms, we compared the effect of different treatments (apoptosis-inducing agents, Hydrocortisone and Adriamycin, anti-angiogenic agent, TNP-470, and immunomodulators-Levamisole and BCG) on two experimental tumours (B16 melanoma and AKR lymphoma) growing in young and old mice. Most treatments showed, in both tumours, a higher inhibitory effect on tumours growing in old mice than on those developing in young ones, to our knowledge, a feature not described before for anti-tumoural agents. We suggest that designing ageing conditions in tumours of young patients might possibly alleviate neoplastic aggressiveness in these patients as well.