Surgical Considerations for Older Adults With Cancer: A Multidimensional, Multiphase Pathway to Improve Care

Geriatric Assessment in Colorectal Surgery: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of colorectal surgery among older adults is expected to rise due to the aging population. Geriatric conditions (e.g., frailty) are risk factors for poor surgical outcomes. The goal of this systematic review is to examine how current literature describes geriatric assessment interventions in colorectal surgery and associated outcomes.

METHODS

Systematic searches of Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science were completed. Review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and prospectively registered in PROSPERO, the international prospective register of systematic reviews in health and social care. All cohort studies and randomized trials of adult colorectal surgery patients where geriatric assessment was performed were included. Geriatric assessment with/without management interventions were identified and described.

RESULTS

Seven-hundred ninety-three studies were identified. Duplicates (197) were removed. An additional 525 were excluded after title/abstract review. After full-text review, 20 studies met the criteria. Reference list review increased final total to 25 studies. All 25 studies were cohort studies. No randomized clinical trials were identified. Heterogeneous assessments were organized into geriatrics domains (mind, mobility, medications, matters most, and multi-complexity). Incomplete evaluations across geriatric domains were performed with few studies describing the use of assessments to impact management decisions.

CONCLUSIONS

There are no randomized trials assessing the impact of geriatric assessment to tailor management strategies and improve outcomes in colorectal surgery. Few studies performed assessments to evaluate the geriatric domain matters most. These findings represent a gap in evidence for the efficacy of geriatric assessment and management strategies in colorectal surgical care.

Application Value of High-Quality Nursing in Operating Room in Rectal Cancer Operation and its Influence on Postoperative Rehabilitation

OBJECTIVE

To study the value of high-quality care in operating room during operation of patients with rectal cancer and the effect of this nursing model on postoperative rehabilitation.

METHODS

This study recruited 72 patients with rectal cancer, including 36 in the control group and 36 in the observation group. Patients in the control group received routine care, and those in the observation group received high-quality care in operating room.

RESULTS

The anxiety score (5.50 ± .77 vs 10. 08 ± 1.13), stress score (6.97 ± .60 vs 8.61 ± .99), and depression score (4.02 ± .65 vs 5.50 ± .91) in the observation group were less than the control group after treatment (P < .05). The measured values of diastolic blood pressure (73.19 ± 1.96 vs 86.13 ± 2.0), systolic blood pressure (121.08 ± 1.62 vs 130.63 ± 2.84), heart rate (73.05 ± 1.63 vs 87.11 ± 2.91) and adrenaline E(E) (58.40 ± 3.02 vs 61.42 ± 3.86) in the observation group were less than the control group after treatment (P < .05). The cooperation degree (94.44 vs 75.00) in the observation group was greater than the control group, but the operation time (308.47 ± 9.92 vs 339.47 ± 12.70), postoperative intestinal function recovery time (16.30 ± 1.14 vs 30.94 ± 2.10) and length of stay (10.47 ± 1.85 vs 13.33 ± 1.95) were all shorter than the control group (P < .05). The nasopharyngeal temperature in the observation group was greater than the control group at 30 minutes during operation (36.16 ± .50 vs 35.19 ± .40) and after operation, and fear score (2.22 ± .42 vs 3.63 ± .72) was less than the control group (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

The application of high-quality care in the operating room during rectal cancer surgery has a significantly good clinical outcome.

Survival Impacts of Impaired Lung Functions and Comorbidities on Elderly Esophageal Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

Preoperative physiological assessments are crucial for optimizing clinical outcomes, especially those of elderly esophageal cancer (EC) patients who are generally frail and at the high risk of mortality.

METHODS

Patients who underwent surgery for EC between 2004 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were categorized into elderly (>70 years) or non-elderly (≤70 years) groups. Various physiological parameters including the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), immunonutritional parameters and pulmonary functions were studied. Pulmonary functions included %vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1.0) and FEV1.0%. The thresholds were set as the lowest quartile (100% for %VC and 2L for FEV1.0) in this cohort. Multivariate Cox hazards models were applied to determine independent predictors of non-EC-related deaths.

RESULTS

In total, 824 patients were included (elderly; n = 306, non-elderly; n = 518). Elderly patients had a significantly lower 5-year OS rate than non-elderly patients (53.3% vs. 57.2%, P = 0.03), mainly due to increased risk of death from non-EC related causes. In the elderly group, multivariate Cox hazards analysis identified 3 independent predictors of non-EC-related deaths; high CCI (HR 1.98, P=0.006), low %VC (HR 2.01, P = 0.004) and low FEV1.0 (HR 1.6, P=0.048). Elderly patients without risk factors had a significantly better 5-year OS rate (63.5%) than those with 1 (50.0%) or 2-3 (36.3%) risk factors (P <0.01). Deaths due to pulmonary disease rose significantly as the number of risk factors increased (P=0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

The severity of comorbidities and pulmonary function impairments are useful for predicting long-term outcomes, especially non-EC-related deaths, in elderly EC patients.

Prospective, Multi-Institutional Observational Study of Deterioration in Activities of Daily Living in Elderly Patients After Lung Cancer Surgery

Introduction

To determine the rate of deteriorating activities of daily living (ADL) and to investigate predictive factors in elderly patients undergoing surgery for NSCLC.

Methods

Patients with NSCLC aged 75 years or older who underwent curative surgical resection were evaluated using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence Instrumental ADL (TMIG-IADL) and the Japanese version of EuroQol 5-dimensions 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) quality-of-life scale administered at baseline and at 6 months postoperative. The primary end point was the rate of living patients without substantial deterioration of TMIG-IADL, defined as a decline greater than or equal to three points. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine risk factors for deteriorating ADL.

Results

Between May 2019 and May 2020, 876 of the 986 screened patients enrolled from 47 institutions were eligible and included in the analysis. TMIG-IADL and EQ-5D-5L scores were obtained from 96.0% and 92.6% of the patients, respectively. At 6 months postoperative, 745 patients (85.1%, 95% confidence interval: 82.5%-87.3%) reported no significant ADL deterioration, and 96 of 841 patients (11.4%) with postoperative score data reported significant deterioration. The social domain was the most frequently affected activity. In multivariable analysis, poor performance status, low G8 geriatric screening score, segmentectomy (versus wedge resection), and surgery lasting less than 3 hours were associated with deteriorating ADL. Worsening EQ-5D-5L scores by minimally important difference or more were observed in 22.1% of the patients. Changes in TMIG-IADL and EQ-5D-5L scores were poorly correlated.

Conclusions

Approximately 15% of elderly patients with NSCLC experienced significant ADL deterioration at 6 months postoperative.

Safety and feasibility of robotic surgery for old rectal cancer patients

Robotic surgery is widely utilized for rectal cancer. Older patients are associated with comorbidity and diminished cardiopulmonary reserve, resulting in uncertainty and reluctance to perform robotic surgery in older patients. The aim of the study was to assess the safety and feasibility of robotic surgery in older rectal cancer patients. We collected the data of patients diagnosed with rectal cancer and operated at our hospital from May 2015 to January 2021. All patients undergoing robotic surgery were classified into two groups: the old group (≥ 70 years) and young group (< 70 years). Perioperative outcomes were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Risk factors related to postoperative complications were also explored. A total of old N = 114 and young N = 324 rectal patients were enrolled in our study. Older patients were prone to exhibit comorbidity than the young and had lower body mass index and higher scores of American Society of Anesthesiologists than the young. No statistical difference was found in operative time, estimated blood loss, lymph nodes retrieved, tumor size, pathological TNM stage, hospital stay after surgery and total hospital cost between the two groups. The incidence of postoperative complications did not show difference between the two groups. On multivariate analyses, male sex and longer operative time could predict postoperative complications, whereas old age was not an independent factor for postoperative complications. After careful preoperative evaluation, robotic surgery is a technically feasible and safe procedure for older rectal cancer patients.

Frailty Assessment and Prehabilitation as Part of a PeRioperative Evaluation and Planning (PREP) Program for Patients Undergoing Colorectal Surgery

Frailty assessment and prehabilitation can be incrementally implemented in a multidisciplinary, multiphase pathway to improve patient care. To start, modifications can be made to a surgeon's practice with existing resources while adapting standard pathways for frail patients. Frailty screening can identify patients in need of additional assessment and optimization. Personalized utilization of frailty data for optimization through prehabilitation can improve postoperative outcomes and identify patients who would benefit from adapted care. Additional utilization of the multidisciplinary team can lead to improved outcomes and a strong business case to add additional members of the team.

Patient-Reported Symptom Burden After Cancer Surgery in Older Adults: A Population-Level Analysis

BACKGROUND

Older adults have unique needs for supportive care after surgery. We examined symptom trajectories and factors associated with high symptom burden after cancer surgery in older adults.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a population-level study of patients ≥ 70 years old undergoing cancer surgery (2007-2018) using prospectively collected Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) scores. The monthly prevalence of moderate to severe symptoms (ESAS ≥ 4) for anxiety, depression, drowsiness, lack of appetite, nausea, pain, shortness of breath, tiredness, and poor wellbeing was computed over 12 months after surgery.

RESULTS

Among 48,748 patients, 234,420 ESAS scores were recorded over 12 months after surgery. Moderate to severe tiredness (57.8%), poor wellbeing (51.9%), and lack of appetite (39.3%) were most common. The proportion of patients with moderate to severe symptoms was stable over the 1 month prior to and 12 months after surgery (< 5% variation for each symptom). There was no clinically significant change (< 5%) in symptom trajectory with the initiation of adjuvant therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-reported symptom burden was stable for up to 1 year after cancer surgery among older adults. Neither surgery nor adjuvant therapy coincided with a worsening in symptom burden. However, the persistence of symptoms at 1 year may suggest gaps in supportive care for older adults. This information on symptom trajectory and predictors of high symptom burden is important to set appropriate expectations and improve patient counseling, recovery care pathways, and proactive symptom management for older adults after cancer surgery.

Association Between Frailty and Time Alive and At Home After Cancer Surgery Among Older Adults: A Population-Based Analysis

BACKGROUND

Although frailty is known to impact short-term postoperative outcomes, its long-term impact is unknown. This study examined the association between frailty and remaining alive and at home after cancer surgery among older adults.

METHODS

Adults aged ≥70 years undergoing cancer resection were included in this population-based retrospective cohort study using linked administrative datasets in Ontario, Canada. The probability of remaining alive and at home in the 5 years after cancer resection was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Extended Cox regression with time-varying effects examined the association between frailty and remaining alive and at home.

RESULTS

Of 82,037 patients, 6,443 (7.9%) had preoperative frailty. With median follow-up of 47 months (interquartile range, 23-81 months), patients with frailty had a significantly lower probability of remaining alive and at home 5 years after cancer surgery compared with those without frailty (39.1% [95% CI, 37.8%-40.4%] vs 62.5% [95% CI, 62.1%-63.9%]). After adjusting for age, sex, rural living, material deprivation, immigration status, cancer type, surgical procedure intensity, year of surgery, and receipt of perioperative therapy, frailty remained associated with increased hazards of not remaining alive and at home. This increase was highest 31 to 90 days after surgery (hazard ratio [HR], 2.00 [95% CI, 1.78-2.24]) and remained significantly elevated beyond 1 year after surgery (HR, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.48-1.64]). This pattern was observed across cancer sites, including those requiring low-intensity surgery (breast and melanoma).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative frailty was independently associated with a decreased probability of remaining alive and at home after cancer surgery among older adults. This relationship persisted over time for all cancer types beyond short-term mortality and the initial postoperative period. Frailty assessment may be useful for all candidates for cancer surgery, and these data can be used when counseling, selecting, and preparing patients for surgery.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program in octogenarian patients: a propensity score matching analysis on the "Lazio Network" database

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and compliance with the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol in octogenarian patients undergoing colorectal surgery in 12 Italian high-volume centers.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted in a consecutive series of patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery between 2016 and 2018. Patients were grouped by age (≥ 80 years vs < 80 years), propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed, and the groups were compared regarding clinical outcomes and the mean number of ERAS items applied.

RESULTS

Out of 1646 patients identified, 310 were octogenarians. PSM identified 2 cohorts of 125 patients for the comparison of postoperative outcomes and ERAS compliance. The 2 groups were homogeneous regarding the clinical variables and mean number of ERAS items applied (11.3 vs 11.9, p-ns); however, the application of intraoperative items was greater in nonelderly patients (p 0.004). The functional recovery was similar between the two groups, as were the rates of postoperative severe complications and 30-day mortality rate. Elderly patients had more overall complications. Furthermore, the mean hospital stay was higher in the elderly group (p 0.027). Multivariable analyses documented that postoperative stay was inversely correlated with the number of ERAS items applied (p < 0.0001), whereas age ≥ 80 years significantly correlated with the overall complication rate (p 0.0419).

CONCLUSION

The ERAS protocol is safe in octogenarian patients, with similar levels of compliance and surgical outcomes. However, octogenarian patients have a higher rate of overall complications and a longer hospital stay than do younger patients.

The Association Between Visceral Obesity and Postoperative Outcomes in Elderly Patients With Colorectal Cancer

Background

The impact of visceral obesity on the postoperative complications of colorectal cancer in elderly patients has not been well studied. This study aims to explore the influence of visceral obesity on surgical outcomes in elderly patients who have accepted a radical surgery for colorectal cancer.

Methods

Patients aged over 65 year who had undergone colorectal cancer resections from January 2015 to September 2020 were enrolled. Visceral obesity is typically evaluated based on visceral fat area (VFA) which is measured by computed tomography (CT) imaging. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze parameters related to short-term outcomes.

Results

A total of 528 patients participated in this prospective study. Patients with visceral obesity exhibited the higher incidence of total (34.1% vs. 18.0%, P &lt; 0.001), surgical (26.1% vs. 14.6%, P = 0.001) and medical (12.6% vs. 6.7%, P = 0.022) complications. Based on multivariate analysis, visceral obesity and preoperative poorly controlled hypoalbuminemia were considered as independent risk factors for postoperative complications in elderly patients after colorectal cancer surgery.

Conclusions

Visceral obesity, evaluated by VFA, was a crucial clinical predictor of short-term outcomes after colorectal cancer surgery in elderly patients. More attentions should be paid to these elderly patients before surgery.

Ageing and cancer: a research gap to fill

The complex mechanisms of ageing biology are increasingly understood. Interventions to reduce or delay ageing‐associated diseases are emerging. Cancer is one of the diseases promoted by tissue ageing. A clockwise mutational signature is identified in many tumours. Ageing might be a modifiable cancer risk factor. To reduce the incidence of ageing‐related cancer and to detect the disease at earlier stages, we need to understand better the links between ageing and tumours. When a cancer is established, geriatric assessment and measures of biological age might help to generate evidence‐based therapeutic recommendations. In this approach, patients and caregivers would include the respective weight to give to the quality of life and survival in the therapeutic choices. The increasing burden of cancer in older patients requires new generations of researchers and geriatric oncologists to be trained, to properly address disease complexity in a multidisciplinary manner, and to reduce health inequities in this population of patients. In this review, we propose a series of research challenges to tackle in the next few years to better prevent, detect and treat cancer in older patients while preserving their quality of life.

Factors affecting short-term survival in patients older than 85 treated with resection for stage II and III colon cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients ≥85 years of age have high rates of colon cancer but disproportionately poor outcomes. Factors affecting short-term (90-day) survival in patients ≥85 undergoing surgery for stage II and III colon cancer were examined to identify potentially modifiable factors to improve outcomes.

METHODS

The New York State Cancer Registry and Statewide Planning Research and Cooperative System were queried for patients ≥85 years who underwent colectomy for stage II and III colon cancer between 2004 and 2012. Regression analyses were performed for factors associated with 90-day mortality and stratified by elective and nonelective surgery.

RESULTS

In total, 3,779 patients ≥85 years of age underwent colectomy between 2004 and 2012 for stage II or III colon cancer. Of these, 48.4% underwent nonelective colectomy, 79.9% had an open operation, and 90-day survival was 83.2%. Worse survival was associated with nonelective surgery (odds ratio = 3.81, 95% confidence interval = 3.03-4.89). Improved survival in the nonelective and overall groups was associated with a minimally invasive operation (nonelective group: odds ratio = 0.35, 95% confidence interval = 0.21-0.58; overall group: odds ratio = 0.50, 95% confidence interval = 0.36-0.73) and discharged to another health care facility (nonelective group: odds ratio = 0.30, 95% confidence interval = 0.22-0.39; overall group: odds ratio = 0.42, 95% confidence interval = 0.33-0.53). High surgeon annual operating volume was associated with improved survival in the elective and nonelective groups (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Factors associated with greater odds of 90-day mortality in this population include nonelective surgery, preoperative weight loss, and multiple comorbidities, whereas a minimally invasive approach was associated with lower mortality. Potential areas to improve outcomes in this population include using a multidisciplinary team approach, addressing frailty preoperatively when possible, and potentially reconsidering screening guidelines for colorectal cancer to reduce rates of emergency operations.