Discover how the latest findings from the CARE Registry reveal the critical link between geriatric assessment impairment profiles and survival rates in elderly patients battling gastrointestinal cancers.
– by James
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Geriatric Assessment Impairment Profiles and Mortality in Older Adults with Gastrointestinal Cancers: Latent Class Analysis of the CARE Registry.
Thai et al., J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2023
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad273
New Information:
Researchers have identified six distinct classes of geriatric assessment impairments in older patients with gastrointestinal malignancies using latent class analysis (LCA). These classes range from mild impairment to global impairment and are associated with varying one-year mortality rates.
Importance:
This classification provides a more nuanced understanding of the health status of older cancer patients beyond the traditional frailty categories (robust, pre-frail, frail). It can help in tailoring interventions and predicting treatment outcomes more accurately.
Contribution to Literature:
The study offers a novel approach to categorizing older adults with cancer based on a comprehensive geriatric assessment. It demonstrates that these classes have different mortality outcomes, which could be more informative than the conventional frailty categories.
Results Summary:
– Six classes identified: Mild impairment (LC1), Social support impairment (LC2), Weight loss alone (LC3), Impaired with low anxiety/depression (LC4), Impaired with anxiety/depression (LC5), Global impairment (LC6).
– One-year mortality rates were 14%, 22%, 29%, 34%, 50%, and 50% for LC1 through LC6, respectively.
– These rates show a wider spread compared to the frailty category estimates, which ranged from 18% (robust) to 40% (frail).
– Classes LC4 to LC6 consistently showed higher mortality rates in stratified analyses, indicating their higher risk.
This study suggests that using these impairment classes could improve patient care by identifying those who are most vulnerable and in need of targeted interventions.