Telephone OncoGériatric Followed in the Management of Elderly Patients Treated for Cancer or Haematological Malignancy

Telephone OncoGériatric Followed in the Management of Elderly Patients Treated for Cancer or Haematological Malignancy

There are no recommendations and few studies on the monitoring of fragile patients in the oncological treatment, both on the organizational arrangements on its interest in the prevention of functional deterioration of the patient and adaptation of the potential cancer treatment.

The oncogériatrique evaluation being time-consuming, requiring the movement of these more or less frail elderly patients, it seems difficult to envisage repeated and systematic standardized geriatric assessments during cancer treatment. Geriatric fragility can be detected by telephone. Craven et al. has already assessed the telephone follow-up by a nurse in patients treated for cancer, but with the aim to detect toxicities of cancer treatment, patients are not very old (mean age 64.8 years).

External evaluation by the nurse coordinator of UCOG (Coordination Unit in geriatric oncology) not knowing the patients included avoids bias of subjectivity in the interrogation.

However the telephone monitoring, with the aim to evaluate the evolution of geriatric frailty, has not been specifically studied in the elderly population treated for cancer, while taking oncology load.

The investigators wish to study the feasibility and validity of telephone follow-up which could eventually be used routinely to identify patients requiring further medical consultation oncogériatrique.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients 70 years and older with cancer or hematologic malignancies;
• Faced benefit from cancer treatment (systemic treatment, curative radiotherapy) in one of the clinical sites;
• Addressed in onco-gériatric consultation in the usual routine care sector;
• Mastery of the French language;
• Patient affiliated to the social security system;
• Patient has given its written consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Life expectancy <3 months
• Inability to communicate by telephone (deafness, speech disorder, ..)
• Inability collection of written consent
• Group 4 SiO (International Society of Geriatric Oncology), Performance status (PS) 4
• initial MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) <18/30
• oncological treatment envisaged: analgesic radiotherapy or exclusive decompressive, brain radiation therapy in toto
• Patient under guardianship