Effect of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications on physical functional decline among older adults with advanced cancer receiving systemic treatment.

Background: Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) are common among older adults with advanced cancer, but their association with physical functional outcomes is understudied. This study aimed to estimate the risk of physical functional decline associated with medication measures in older adults with advanced cancer starting a new line of systemic treatment.

Methods: This secondary analysis of GAP 70+ Trial (PI: Mohile) enrolled patients aged 70+ with advanced cancer, had ≥ 1 geriatric assessment domain impairment and planned to start a new antineoplastic regimen with a high risk of toxicity.

Primary Treatment Modification and Treatment Tolerability Among Older Chemotherapy Recipients With Advanced Cancer.

Importance: Older adults with advanced cancer are less likely to tolerate treatment with cytotoxic chemotherapy compared with younger patients due to their aging-related conditions. Hence, oncologists sometimes opt to employ primary treatment modifications (deviation from standard of care) during the first cycle of chemotherapy.

Objective: To examine the association between primary treatment modification and treatment tolerability in older adults with advanced cancer who were starting new palliative chemotherapy regimens.

External Validation of Risk Factors for Unplanned Hospitalization in Older Adults With Advanced Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy.

Background: Older adults (age ≥65 years) receiving chemotherapy are at risk for hospitalization. Predictors of unplanned hospitalization among older adults receiving chemotherapy for cancer were recently published using data from a study conducted by the Cancer and Aging Research Group (CARG). Our study aimed to externally validate these predictors in an independent cohort including older adults with advanced cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Association of polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions with adverse treatment outcomes in older adults with advanced cancer.

Background: Polypharmacy is common in older adults who are starting cancer treatment and is associated with an increased risk of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential drug-drug interactions (PDIs). The authors evaluated the association of medication measures with adverse outcomes in older adults with advanced cancer who were receiving systemic therapy.

Methods: This secondary analysis from GAP 70+ Trial (ClinicalTrials.

A Geriatric Assessment Intervention to Reduce Treatment Toxicity Among Older Adults With Advanced Lung Cancer: A Subgroup Analysis From a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: More older adults die from lung cancer worldwide than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined. Current lung cancer treatments may prolong life, but can also cause considerable treatment-related toxicity.

Objective: This study is a secondary analysis of a cluster-randomized clinical trial which evaluated whether providing a geriatric assessment (GA) summary and GA-guided management recommendations can improve grade 3-5 toxicity among older adults with advanced lung cancer.

Evaluation of geriatric assessment and management on the toxic effects of cancer treatment (GAP70+): a cluster-randomised study.

Background: Older adults with advanced cancer are at a high risk for treatment toxic effects. Geriatric assessment evaluates ageing-related domains and guides management. We examined whether a geriatric assessment intervention can reduce serious toxic effects in older patients with advanced cancer who are receiving high risk treatment (eg, chemotherapy).

Prevalence of and factors associated with treatment modification at first cycle in older adults with advanced cancer receiving palliative treatment.

Introduction: Treatment toxicities are common in older adults with cancer and consequently, treatment modifications are sometimes considered. We evaluated the prevalence and factors associated with treatment modifications at the first cycle in older patients receiving palliative systemic treatment.

Methods: Patients (n = 369) from the GAP 70+ Trial (NCT02054741; PI: Mohile) usual care arm were included.

Using Geriatric Assessment to Guide Conversations Regarding Comorbidities Among Older Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Purpose: Older patients with advanced cancer often have comorbidities that can worsen their cancer and treatment outcomes. We assessed how a geriatric assessment (GA)-guided intervention can guide conversations about comorbidities among patients, oncologists, and caregivers.

Methods: This secondary analysis arose from a nationwide, multisite cluster-randomized trial (ClinicalTrials.

Research priorities to address polypharmacy in older adults with cancer.

Polypharmacy poses a significant public health problem that disproportionately affects older adults (≥65 years) since this population represents the largest consumers of medications. Clinicians caring for older adults with cancer must rely on evidence to understand polypharmacy and its implications, not only to communicate with patients and other healthcare providers, but also because of the significant interplay between polypharmacy, cancer, cancer-related treatment, and clinical outcomes. Interest in polypharmacy is rising because of its prevalence, the origins and facilitating factors behind it, and the direct and indirect clinical outcomes associated with it.

Caregiver-Oncologist Prognostic Concordance, Caregiver Mastery, and Caregiver Psychological Health and Quality of Life.

Background: Caregivers of adults with cancer often report a different understanding of the patient's prognosis than the oncologist. We examine the associations of caregiver-oncologist prognostic concordance with caregiver depressive symptoms, distress, and quality of life (QoL). We also explore whether these relationships differed by caregiver environment mastery, an individual's sense of control, and effectiveness in managing life situations.

Association of Polypharmacy and Potentially Inappropriate Medications With Physical Functional Impairments in Older Adults With Cancer.

Background: Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) are prevalent in older adults with cancer, but their associations with physical function are not often studied. This study examined the associations of polypharmacy and PIMs with physical function in older adults with cancer, and determined the optimal cutoff value for the number of medications most strongly associated with physical functional impairment.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used baseline data from a randomized study enrolling patients aged ≥70 years with advanced cancer starting a new systemic cancer treatment.

Assessment of Financial Toxicity Among Older Adults With Advanced Cancer.

Importance: Financial toxicity (FT), unintended and unanticipated financial burden experienced by cancer patients undergoing cancer care, is associated with negative consequences and increased risk of mortality. Older patients (≥70 years) with cancer are at risk for FT, yet data are limited on FT and whether oncologists discuss FT with their patients.

Objective: To examine the prevalence of FT in older adults with advanced cancer, its association with health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and cost conversations between oncologists and patients.

Comprehensive molecular analysis of 61 Egyptian families with hereditary nonsyndromic hearing loss.

Nonsyndromic hearing loss is an extremely heterogeneous disorder. Thus, clinical diagnostics is challenging, in particular due to differences in the etiology of hearing loss between populations. With this study, we wanted to elucidate the genetic basis of hearing loss in 61 consanguineous Egyptian families.

Associations of Polypharmacy and Inappropriate Medications with Adverse Outcomes in Older Adults with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Polypharmacy (PP) and potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) are highly prevalent in older adults with cancer. This study systematically reviews the associations of PP and/or PIM with outcomes and, through a meta-analysis, obtains estimates of postoperative outcomes associated with PP in this population.

Materials And Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Register of Clinical Trials using standardized terms for concepts of PP, PIM, and cancer.

Beliefs About Advanced Cancer Curability in Older Patients, Their Caregivers, and Oncologists.

Background: Ensuring older patients with advanced cancer and their oncologists have similar beliefs about curability is important. We investigated discordance in beliefs about curability in patient-oncologist and caregiver-oncologist dyads.

Materials And Methods: We used baseline data from a cluster randomized trial assessing whether geriatric assessment improves communication and quality of life in older patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers.

Stop eating plastic, molecular signaling of bisphenol A in breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second most common fatal cancer in women. Developing a breast cancer is a multi-factorial and hormonal-dependent process, which may be triggered by many risk factors. An endocrine disrupting substance known as bisphenol A (BPA), that is used greatly in the manufacture of plastic products, was suggested as a possible risk factor for developing breast cancer.

IMS study of climate, altitude, temperature and vasomotor symptoms in the United Arab Emirates.

Objective: To examine the relationships between temperature, season (summer versus winter), lifestyle, health, mood, beliefs, and experience of hot flushes and night sweats (HFNS), amongst mid-aged women living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Methods: The UAE climate is hyper-arid, being a hot desert climate, with warm winters and hot summers. A total of 372 peri- and postmenopausal women, aged from 45 to 55 years, from urban UAE regions were included.

Effect of 50 Hz, 0.2 mT magnetic fields on RBC properties and heart functions of albino rats.

In this work the effect of sinusoidal 50 Hz, 0.2 mT magnetic fields on the red blood cells (RBCs) and heart functions of Albino rats were investigated. Twenty-four male Albino rats were equally divided into four groups, A, B, C, and D.