RESUMO
In the context of pancreatic cancer, surgical intervention is typically recommended for localized tumours, whereas chemotherapy is the preferred approach in the advanced and/or metastatic setting. However, pancreatic cancer is closely linked to ageing, with an average diagnosis at 72 years. Paradoxically, despite its increased occurrence among older individuals, this population is often underrepresented in clinical studies, complicating the decision-making process. Age alone should not determine the therapeutic strategy but, given the high comorbidity and mortality of this disease, a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is necessary to define the best treatment, prevent toxicity, and optimize older patient care. In this review, a group of experts from the Oncogeriatrics Section of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (Sociedad Española de Oncología Médica, SEOM), the Spanish Cooperative Group for the Treatment of Digestive Tumours (Grupo Español de Tratamiento de los Tumores Digestivos, TTD), and the Multidisciplinary Spanish Group of Digestive Cancer (Grupo Español Multidisciplinar en Cáncer Digestivo, GEMCAD) have assessed the available scientific evidence and propose a series of recommendations on the management and treatment of the older population with pancreatic cancer.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma , Avaliação Geriátrica , Oncologia , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Humanos , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/terapia , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patologia , Idoso , Oncologia/métodos , Adenocarcinoma/terapia , Adenocarcinoma/patologiaRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: A significant proportion of locally-advanced esophago-gastric adenocarcinoma (EGA) is diagnosed in patients ≥70 years old (y.o.) who are commonly underrepresented in clinical trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PubMed database was searched for phase 2/3 clinical trials enrolling patients ≥70 y.o and reporting efficacy/safety information of chemotherapy for resectable EGA. The main outcomes were overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: Among 6,128 records, only seven studies reported these outcomes (three peri-operative, three adjuvant, and one neoadjuvant), including 1004 older patients, <20% of the overall population. No significant benefit in terms of OS and RFS was observed for perioperative or adjuvant chemotherapy vs surgery alone. No trial reported safety endpoints in this subgroup. DISCUSSION: This work did not show any significant benefit in OS or RFS for chemotherapy vs surgery alone or conventional vs de-escalated chemotherapy in the curative setting of EGA in ≥70 y.o patients. Specific ad hoc trials should be performed to derive reliable data.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma , Neoplasias Gástricas , Humanos , Idoso , Quimioterapia Adjuvante , Terapia Neoadjuvante , Adenocarcinoma/tratamento farmacológico , Adenocarcinoma/cirurgia , Neoplasias Gástricas/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Gástricas/cirurgia , Neoplasias Gástricas/patologia , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES: Misunderstanding medication dosage regimen instructions can lead to unintentional misuse of a prescribed medicine, non-adherence to providers' instructions, and other treatment-related issues. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of and factors associated with older patients' misunderstanding of medication dosage regimen instructions after consultation with a general practitioner. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 22 primary-care facilities in Brazil. Data were collected from September 2016 to December 2017 using a multidimensional questionnaire. Patients who were 60 years old or older who visited primary care units were included in the study (n = 416). RESULTS: Of the older patients interviewed, 38.2% had a misunderstanding of medication dosage regimen instructions; being female was a protective factor against the misunderstanding of medication dosage regimen instructions (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.45-0.89). In relation to other factors with an important association, misunderstanding medication dosage regimen instructions was 71% higher among illiterate participants (PR = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.25-2.35), 39% higher among people who considered their memory to be poor (PR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.01-1.91), 49% higher in those who did not have a job at the time of the interview (PR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.01-2.19), and 50% higher in patients who had been prescribed five or more medications (PR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.02-2.20). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that older people's misunderstandings of medication dosage regimen instructions after consultation with a general practitioner was greater than expected due to a range of factors, especially polypharmacy, poor literacy, poor memory, and having a job at the time of the interview. Health services and professionals should implement strategies to increase the quality of the guidance given to elderly individuals and to ensure their adherence to the regimen instructions of their medications.
Assuntos
Polimedicação , Atenção Primária à Saúde , Idoso , Brasil , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Adesão à Medicação , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Encaminhamento e ConsultaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics, outcomes and prognostic factors in elderly patients (aged 75 years and elder) with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). METHODS: Consecutive patients admitted with acute nonvariceal UGIB who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were prospectively recruited and subdivided into two age-based groups, elderly (aged ≥75 years) and younger patients (<75 years). The patients' characteristics and outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: Altogether 1136 patients were included in the study, 276 (24.3%) aged ≥75 years. Peptic ulcers, gastroduodenal erosions and esophagitis represented the three most common endoscopic lesions found in 87.7% of the elderly patients compared with 80.8% in younger patients ( P = 0.008). Overall, the rebleeding rate (4.0% vs 3.3%, P = 0.568), need for blood transfusion (66.3% vs 61.0%, P = 0.122), surgery rate (1.2% vs 1.4%, P = 0.947) and in-hospital mortality (13.0% vs 10.0%, P = 0.157) were not different between the two groups. In elderly patients, serum albumin was the only predictive variable independently associated with mortality in the overall analysis (OR 5.867, 95% CI 2.206-15.604, P < 0.001) and in the subgroup patients with peptic ulcers (OR 5.230, 95% CI 2.099-13.029, P = 0.001). Elderly patients with serum albumin >23.5 g/L at admission presented a low mortality (negative predictive value 97.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical evolution and mortality do not differ between the elderly and younger patients with acute nonvariceal UGIB. Serum albumin level at admission is a prognostic marker for mortality in elder patients.
Assuntos
Hemorragia Gastrointestinal/etiologia , Doença Aguda , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Biomarcadores/sangue , Transfusão de Sangue , Endoscopia Gastrointestinal/métodos , Esofagite/complicações , Esofagite/diagnóstico , Esofagite/terapia , Feminino , Hemorragia Gastrointestinal/terapia , Hospitalização , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Úlcera Péptica/complicações , Úlcera Péptica/diagnóstico , Úlcera Péptica/terapia , Prognóstico , Estudos Prospectivos , Recidiva , Ressuscitação/métodos , Albumina Sérica/análise , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: delirium is frequently under diagnosed in older hospitalised patients. Predictive models have not been widely incorporated in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: to develop and validate a predictive score for incident delirium. DESIGN AND SETTING: two consecutive observational prospective cohorts (development and validation) in a university affiliated hospital. SUBJECTS: inpatients 65 years and older. METHODS: in the development cohort patients were assessed within the first 48 h of admission, and every 48 h thereafter, using the confusion assessment method to diagnose delirium and data were collected on comorbidity, illness severity, functional status and laboratory. Delirium predictive score (DPS) was constructed in the development cohort using variables associated with incident delirium in the multivariate analysis (P < 0.05), and then tested in a validation cohort of comparable patients, admitted without delirium. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and likelihood ratio (LR) were calculated. RESULTS: the development cohort included 374 patients, incident delirium occurred in 25. After multivariate analysis incident delirium was independently associated with lower functional status (Barthel Index) and a proxy for dehydration (elevated urea to creatinine ratio). Using these variables, DPS was constructed with a performance in the ROC curve area of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.82-0.91) and (-) LR = 0.16 and (+) LR = 3.4. The validation cohort included 104 patients and the performance of the score was ROC 0.78 (95% CI: 0.66-0.90). CONCLUSIONS: This simple predictive model highlights functional status and a proxy for dehydration as a useful tool for identifying older patients that may benefit from close monitoring and preventive care for early diagnosis of delirium.