136 / 154
S106
A B S T R A C T S
on improving geriatric oncology education, clinical care and
research. Key/top short-term priorities for each of those three
areas were identified.
The top 3 priorities for education were:
- Defining core competencies for geriatric oncology
- Increasing awareness about geriatric oncology in all
clinical and educational settings
- Creating
international
professional
networking,
communicate via email and video conferencing
The top 3 priorities for clinical care were:
- Integrating geriatric oncology within the oncology setting
- Identifying existing health care providers with an interest
in geriatric oncology to help facilitate development of
geriatric oncology clinics and services
- Implementing a screening tool systematically for all 70+ to
identify those patients who may benefit the most from a
referral to geriatric oncology
The top 3 research priorities were:
- Demonstrating the value of geriatric assessment and
management on patient and cancer outcomes
- Integrating geriatric assessment and management in all
clinical cancer trials
- Designing trials to facilitate recruitment of frail older
persons
Conclusion:
There is a growing interest in geriatric oncology
in Canada. We plan to conduct surveys to further understand
the needs of health care providers and researchers in each
of these three areas in Canada and facilitate establishing
a national geriatric oncology network. This is strongly
supported by SIOG, stressing the need for better international
collaboration.
Disclosure of interest:
None declared
Keywords:
Clinical care priorities, education priorities,
multidisciplinary network, National network, research
priorities
P118
EVALUATION OF DIAGNOSTIC PATHWAYS FOR OLDER
PEOPLE WITH SUSPECTED CANCER: AN ANALYSIS OF A
RAPID ACCESS GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT SERVICE
M. Denholm
1,
*, F. Holt
1
, P. Corrie
2
, J. Hampton
3
1
Department of Oncology and Department of Medicine for the
Elderly,
2
Department of Oncology,
3
Department of Medicine for the
Elderly, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Introduction:
The evolution of oncogeriatrics as an
important new area bridging geriatric medicine and oncology
has raised the need for tailored comprehensive geriatric
assessment (CGA) of increasing numbers of older patients
presenting with cancer in order to better assess their health,
frailty and social circumstances and optimise their subsequent
management. Addenbrooke’s hospital established a Rapid
Access DME Assessment/Review service (RADAR) as part
of the trust’s admission avoidance strategy, enabling GPs to
obtain urgent assessment of unwell older patients the same
or the next working day.
Objectives:
In order to assess our local oncogeriatric
requirements, we aimed to evaluate the RADAR service for
its use as a diagnostic pathway for suspected cancer in the
elderly.
Methods:
We reviewed written information supplied in
528 GP referrals to RADAR between November 2014-2015 and
identified those with explicit concern regarding suspected
cancer, no explicit mention of cancer but presence of ‘red
flag’ symptoms, and those with no concern about cancer. The
suspected cancer referrals were analysed in further detail,
recording variables including patient age, sex, Charlson co-
morbidity index and drug history. Investigation and treatment
outcomes were determined for those patients subsequently
diagnosed with cancer.
Results:
53 (10%) of 528 RADAR referrals by GPs explicitly
raised concern about cancer. 21 (40%) of these patients
were confirmed to have cancer, 15 (28%) of whom were new
cancer diagnoses. These patients were taking an average of 5
medications, and had an average Charlson co-morbidity index
of 2, identifying them as suitable candidates for compre-
hensive geriatric assessment. A further 94 (18%) referrals were
identified as having red flag symptoms suspicious for cancer.
Conclusion:
Up to 1 in 4 patients referred to RADAR had
symptoms concerning for cancer and also had indicators
of frailty, suggesting they may therefore benefit from
comprehensive geriatric assessment in parallel with
their cancer care. This review supports a role for formal
oncogeriatric pathways between primary and secondary care.
Disclosure of interest:
None declared
Keywords:
Geriatric assessment
P119
IMPACT OF GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT ON THE
MANAGEMENT OF OLDER ADULTS WITH HEAD AND NECK
CANCER: A PILOT STUDY
M. Neve
1,
*
1
Radiation Oncology, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand
Introduction:
Management of cancer is increasingly
complex in older adults. Comprehensive geriatric assessment
(CGA) has been shown to better discriminate which patients
can tolerate aggressive cancer treatment, but has major
resource implications. In this pilot study we assessed the
utility of incorporating a screening tool to identify older
patients with potentially-curable head and neck cancer
who may benefit from CGA prior to a decision on definitive
management.
Objectives:
To assess the utility of the G8 screening tool
and CGA for older adults with head and neck cancer who
undergo curative intent treatment
Methods:
Patients aged 65 years or older with a potentially-
curable primary malignancy of the head and neck region were
presented at the Head and Neck multidisciplinary team (MDT)
meeting. The Geriatric 8 (G8) questionnaire was administered