BJMO - 2024, issue 4, june 2024
V. Depoorter PhD, K. Vanschoenbeek PhD, L. Decoster MD, PhD, C. Kenis RN, PhD, F. Verdoodt PhD, H. Wildiers MD, PhD
Oncology care is tumour-centric by tradition, but especially in older patients, a more holistic approach is needed that takes into account each aspect of the patient’s health status and not just the tumour. Identifying areas of vulnerability with geriatric screening (GS) and/or geriatric assessment (GA) is crucial in providing patient-oriented and multidisciplinary care that is tailored to the patient’s general health status. The results of GS/GA allow the treating physician to apply clinical judgment based on an estimate of biological age to optimise cancer treatment decisions. The use of GS/GA is, however, not yet widespread in Belgian oncology practice so further evidence on what GS/GA results can contribute, particularly regarding long-term outcomes, was needed to further stimulate the systematic implementation. This study specifically aimed to explore the association between the GS (with Geriatric 8 or G8) / GA and long-term outcomes using linked clinical and population-based data from a cohort of older patients with cancer. It was demonstrated that older patients with an abnormal G8 score at cancer diagnosis had a significantly lower 10-year overall survival compared to patients with a normal G8 score. Furthermore, patients with an abnormal baseline G8 score displayed higher healthcare utilisation across primary care, hospital care, and residential care in the three years after cancer diagnosis. In deceased patients with an abnormal baseline G8 score, functional and cognitive impairment identified with GA at cancer diagnosis was associated with less specialised palliative care use in the last three months of life.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2024;18(4):160–3)
Read moreBJMO - volume 15, issue 7, november 2021
V. Depoorter PhD, K. Vanschoenbeek PhD, C. Kenis RN, PhD, H. De Schutter MD, PhD, L. Decoster MD, PhD, H. Wildiers MD, PhD, F. Verdoodt PhD
The use of population-based data is a relatively accessible and cost-effective approach to study long-term outcomes in oncology. Also in older patients with cancer, longer-term outcome studies are limited and population-based data could help address this gap. Under the lead of UZ Leuven and the Belgian Cancer Registry (BCR), a national study was initiated to explore the association between the general health status of older patients with cancer as assessed by geriatric screening and assessment, and long-term outcomes as captured by population-based data. To this extent, data previously gathered within the context of a multicentre clinical study will be linked with three population-based databases: cancer registration data from BCR, healthcare reimbursement data from InterMutualistic Agency and hospital discharge data from Technical Cell. The major advantage of these population-based data is their longitudinal nature, which allows to follow a (sub)population across several years. The downside is their lack of clinical information. One way to partially overcome this limitation is to supplement population-based data with primary study data to investigate more clinically relevant outcomes. Although often scientifically interesting and appealing, coupling with population-based data demands intensive administrative efforts including an authorisation demand at the Information Security Committee. During the whole process, special attention should be given to privacyrelated aspects of the use and linkage of these data to ensure confidentiality.
BELG J MED ONCOL 2021;15(7):362-6)
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