Towards optimal use of antithrombotic therapy of people with cancer at the end of life: a research protocol for the development and implementation of the SERENITY shared decision support tool Thrombosis Research

Background: Even though antithrombotic therapy has probably little or even negative effects on the well-being of people with cancer during their last year of life, deprescribing antithrombotic therapy at the end of life is rare in practice. It is often continued until death, possibly resulting in excess bleeding, an increased disease burden and higher healthcare costs. Methods: The SERENITY consortium comprises researchers and clinicians from eight European countries with specialties in different clinical fields, epidemiology and psychology. SERENITY will use a comprehensive approach combining a realist review, flash mob research, epidemiological studies, and qualitative interviews. The results of these studies will be used in a Delphi process to reach a consensus on the optimal design of the shared decision support tool. Next, the shared decision support tool will be tested in a randomised controlled trial. A targeted implementation and dissemination plan will be developed to enable the use of the SERENITY tool across Europe, as well as its incorporation in clinical guidelines and policies. The entire project is funded by Horizon Europe.Results: SERENITY will develop an information-driven shared decision support tool that will facilitate treatment decisions regarding the appropriate use of antithrombotic therapy in people with cancer at the end of life. Conclusions: We aim to develop an intervention that guides the appropriate use of antithrombotic therapy, prevents bleeding complications, and saves healthcare costs. Hopefully, usage of the tool leads to enhanced empowerment and improved quality of life and treatment satisfaction of people with advanced cancer and their care givers

Impact of Medical Specialties on Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management of Elderly Cancer Patients

The management (diagnostic and therapeutic) of cancer in the geriatric population involves a number of complex difficulties. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a medical specialty on the diagnostic and therapeutic management of elderly cancer patients. Four clinical scenarios of cancer in the geriatric population, with a dedicated survey to gather information regarding each clinical case’s diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, as well as the different criteria influencing physicians’ therapeutic decisions, were exposed to geriatricians, oncologists, and radiotherapists in Saint-Etienne. The surveys were filled out by 13 geriatricians, 11 oncologists, and 7 radiotherapists. There was a homogeneity of responses regarding the confirmation of cancer diagnostics in the elderly. There were strong disparities (inter- and intra-specialties) for several clinical situations regarding the therapeutic management of cancer. There were significant disparities in terms of surgical management, the implementation of a chemotherapy protocol, and the adaptation of the chemotherapy dosage. Contrary to oncologists, who primarily consider the G8 and the Karnofsky score, geriatric autonomy scores and frailty with cognitive assessment were the key factors determining diagnostic/therapeutic therapy for geriatricians. These results raise important ethical questions, requiring specific studies in geriatric populations to provide the homogenous management of elderly patients with cancer

Vitamin D and survival in COVID-19 patients: A quasi-experimental study.

International audienceVitamin D may be a central biological determinant of COVID-19 outcomes. The objective of this quasi-experimental study was to determine whether bolus vitamin D3 supplementation taken during or just before COVID-19 was effective in improving survival among frail elderly nursing-home residents with COVID-19. Sixty-six residents with COVID-19 from a French nursing-home were included in this quasi-experimental study. The "Intervention group" was defined as those having received bolus vitamin D3 supplementation during COVID-19 or in the preceding month, and the "Comparator group" corresponded to all other participants. The primary and secondary outcomes were COVID-19 mortality and Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement (OSCI) score in acute phase, respectively. Age, gender, number of drugs daily taken, functional abilities, albuminemia, use of corticosteroids and/or hydroxychloroquine and/or antibiotics (i.e., azithromycin or rovamycin), and hospitalization for COVID-19 were used as potential confounders. The Intervention (n = 57; mean ± SD, 87.7 ± 9.3years; 79 %women) and Comparator (n = 9; mean, 87.4 ± 7.2years; 67 %women) groups were comparable at baseline, as were the COVID-19 severity and the use of dedicated COVID-19 drugs. The mean follow-up time was 36 ± 17 days. 82.5 % of participants in the Intervention group survived COVID-19, compared to only 44.4 % in the Comparator group (P = 0.023). The full-adjusted hazard ratio for mortality according to vitamin D3 supplementation was HR = 0.11 [95 %CI:0.03;0.48], P = 0.003. Kaplan-Meier distributions showed that Intervention group had longer survival time than Comparator group (log-rank P = 0.002). Finally, vitamin D3 supplementation was inversely associated with OSCI score for COVID-19 (β=-3.84 [95 %CI:-6.07;-1.62], P = 0.001). In conclusion, bolus vitamin D3 supplementation during or just before COVID-19 was associated in frail elderly with less severe COVID-19 and better survival rate

Pulmonary Embolism in the Cancer Associated Thrombosis Landscape

In cancer patients, pulmonary embolism (PE) is the second leading cause of death after the cancer itself, most likely because of difficulties in diagnosing the disease due to its nonclassical presentation. The risk of PE recurrence and possibly the case-fatality rate depends on whether the patient presents a symptomatic PE, an unsuspected PE, a subsegmental PE, or a catheter-related PE. Choosing the best therapeutic option is challenging and should consider the risk of both the recurrence of thrombosis and the occurrence of bleeding. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the clinical characteristics and the treatment of cancer-associated PE, which could benefit clinicians to better manage the deadliest form of thrombosis associated with cancer. After a brief presentation of the epidemiological data, we will present the current attitude towards the diagnosis and the management of cancer patients with PE. Finally, we will discuss the perspectives of how the medical community can improve the management of this severe medical condition

Implementation of a systematic comprehensive geriatric assessment for elderly patients suspected of pulmonary hypertension

International audienceBackground: The phenotype of patients seen for a suspicion of pulmonary hypertension has changed, with an increasing age and frequency of comorbidities. Selection of elderly patients, in whom a classical work-up is mandatory, is challenging. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has modified the management of elderly patients with cancer. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) shares with cancer a functional impact and may evolve rapidly, depending on the group of PH. We assessed the impact of a systematic CGA in patients over 70 years old referred for a suspicion of PH.Methods: A standardised CGA was performed on every patient older than 70 years old, referred for a PH suspicion, before considering invasive tests for diagnosis and treatment, between July 2014 and May 2019. Our primary aim was to describe the impact of CGA on the decision to stop or pursue the recommended diagnostic work-up for PH.Results: Among the thirty-one patients evaluated [mean age 81,5 (72-91) years], a negative CGA leads to stop the diagnostic work-up in eleven patients. Among the nineteen remaining patients, sixteen had confirmed PH, with half being chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.Conclusions: Our study indicates that comprehensive geriatric assessment could be an excellent first screen for elderly patients referred for a PH suspicion. Involving a geriatric physician stopped the investigations in one third of patients. In patients with a favourable CGA, PH was confirmed in most of the cases, with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension being the first cause of PH