Factors associated with treatment interruption in elderly patients with cancer.
- Author:
Hye Sung WON
1
;
Der Sheng SUN
;
Ji Young CHOI
;
Ho Jung AN
;
Yoon Ho KO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Chemotherapy; Geriatric assessment; Quality of life; Aged
- MeSH: Activities of Daily Living; Aged*; Appetite; Depression; Drug Therapy; Fatigue; Geriatric Assessment; Humans; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasm Metastasis; Quality of Life; Risk Factors; Tumor Burden
- From:The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine 2019;34(1):156-164
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was conducted to identify risk factors that predict vulnerability to cancer therapy on the basis of the clinical, geriatric, and quality of life assessment before starting treatment in elderly patients. METHODS: Seventy-five patients aged 65 years and over with newly diagnosed stage IV solid cancer receiving chemotherapy were analyzed. Clinical and laboratory data were collected. The geriatric assessment was performed using the Korean versions of the Modified Barthel Index, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Geriatric Depression Scale. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30) was also performed. RESULTS: Forty-one patients stopped cancer treatment during or after the end of first-line therapy and were classified as the treatment interruption group. By univariate analysis, treatment interruption was associated with metastases to ≥ 2 distant sites, lower albumin level, lower EORTC-QLQ-C30 physical and role functioning scores, and higher EORTC-QLQ-C30 fatigue and appetite loss symptom scores. By multivariate analysis, treatment interruption was significantly associated with low score for the EORTC-QLQ-C30 physical functioning scale (odds ratio [OR], 1.020; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.002 to 1.039; p = 0.030), and ≥ 2 sites of distant metastases (OR, 2.965; 95% CI, 1.012 to 8.681; p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: The EORTC-QLQ-C30 physical functioning score and metastases to ≥ 2 organs, which indicate a poor physical functional status and metastatic high tumor burden, were significantly associated with interruption of first-line treatment in elderly patients with cancer.
