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A B S T R A C T S
Frail patients need effective tailored treatments to better
control the disease while minimizing the risk of toxicity and
treatment discontinuation. The selection of therapy should
be based on the risk of toxicity and the capacity of patients
to tolerate treatment. Lenalidomide and bortezomib have
an essential role in the treatment of frail patients. Two-drug
regimens including low-dose steroid in combination with
lenalidomide or bortezomib should be considered in this
setting.
Disclosure of interest:
Honoraria from Celgene, Janssen-
Cilag, BMS
S29
STUDYING SUPPORTIVE CARE IN A NEW GERIATRIC
ONCOLOGY PROGRAMME IN DENMARK
Trine Lembrecht Jørgensen
Odense University Hospital, Oncology, Odense, Denmark
In January 2014, the Academy of Geriatric Cancer Research
(AgeCare) was launched, thanks to former MASCC president
Professor Jørn Herrstedt. Driven by the fact that in Denmark,
there is no national strategy for the management of elderly
cancer patients, he gathered a research group and applied
among seven other groups to be the 4th elite research center
in Odense University Hospital – and was selected.
The 5-year research plan consists of seven work packages
including epidemiology, biomarkers, surgery, radiotherapy,
and medical cancer treatment. Further, two work packages
focus on supportive care. One of these (WP 6) focuses
specifically on comorbidity and geriatric assessment and
the pre-therapeutic evaluation and optimization. The other
(WP7) focuses on cancer disease-related complications and
treatment-induced adverse effects. Rehabilitation will be
another focus area.
AgeCare consists of 70 national and international
researchers from different cancer-related disciplines.
The international researchers include a number of well-
established SIOG members.
AgeCare plans to initiate 17 PhD courses (3-year positions)
and 10 post doc courses (3-year 50% positions) over the period
of 2014 to 2018. As of September 2016, 8 PhD courses and 5
post doc positions have been initiated. So far, the AgeCare
Group has published 30 articles in peer-reviewed scientific
journals including several on supportive care [1,2] and cancer
epidemiology [3]. The website
www.agecare.orgincludes
an overview of initiated studies, published papers and
researchers. AgeCare welcome interested new researchers to
join one or more projects.
References:
[1] Brygger L &Herrstedt J on behalf of theAcademy of Geriatric
Cancer Research (AgeCare). 5-Hydroxytryptamine3 recep-
tor antagonists and cardiac side effects. Expert Opin Drug
Safe. 2014;13:1407-22.
[2] Winther SB, Jørgensen TL, Pfeiffer P, Qvortrup Q on behalf
of the Academy of Geriatric Cancer Research (AgeCare).
Can we predict toxicity and efficacy in older patients
with cancer? Older patients with colorectal cancer as
an example. ESMO Open 2016;1:e000021. doi:10.1136/
esmoopen-2015-000021
[3] Ewertz M, Christensen K, Engholm G, Kejs AMT, Lund L,
Matzen LE et al. on behalf of the Academy of Geriatric
Cancer Research (AgeCare). Trends in cancer in the elderly
population in Denmark, 1980–2012. Acta Oncol. 2016;55
Suppl 1:1-6
Disclosure of interest:
None declared
S30
Demetris Papamichael
The speaker abstract has not been received at the time of
publication.
S31
UPDATES IN RADIOTHERAPY
Laura Lozza
Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Radiation Oncology 1,
Milano, Italy
Radiotherapy plays an important role in the care of patients
with cancer and forms part of the management of 40% of
patients cured of their disease. Advances have been made
in the past two decades, as improvements in engineering
and computing have enabled technologies such as intensity
modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), image guided radiotherapy
(IGRT), and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) to be used in
routine clinical practice
New options of radiation techniques allow the reduction of
possible side effects and toxicity to healthy tissues, providing
more efficient treatments in terms of radiation dose to the
target and areas at risk.
Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT):
IMRT can create
concave treatment shapes and steep dose gradients. This
maximises the sparing of normal tissues, particularly if the
tumour is wrapped around normal structures such as the
spinal cord.
IMRT is particularly useful for head and neck cancers
because of the high number of important normal tissue
structures within close proximity to the tumour.
Benefits have been found in the treatment of many other
treatment sites, including reduced rectal toxicity in patients
with prostate cancer.
For the elderly patients the benefit of this technique comes
from lower intolerance risks along the course of radiation
because of the lower incidence of acute side effects and,
consequently, allowing doses scaling, thus increasing the
probability of tumor control.
Image guided radiotherapy (IGRT):
All radiotherapy is
delivered with imaging at the beginning and intermittently
throughout treatment to ensure accuracy. IGRT uses imaging