Does change in gait while counting backward predict the occurrence of a first fall in older adults?

BACKGROUND: Dual-task-based assessment tests failed to establish a dependable relationship between dual-task-related gait changes and the risk of falls in the elderly. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine whether changes in gait while counting backward could be associated with the occurrence of a first fall among older adults. METHODS: Walking while counting backward was investigated prospectively in a cohort of 187 older adults living independently in senior housing facilities. During enrollment, walking time, number of steps, and frequency of lateral line stepping-over and stops were measured while walking only and while walking with backward counting aloud. Information on the incident falls during the follow-up year was collected monthly. RESULTS: Walking time and the number of steps increased significantly under the dual-task condition compared to the single-task condition among fallers and non-fallers (p < 0.001). Compared to non-fallers, fallers had significantly lower scores in the Mini-Mental State Examination (p = 0.029) and higher scores in the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (p = 0.003) and Timed Up & Go Test (p = 0.006) and increased walking time under both walking conditions (p = 0.030 for single-task condition and p = 0.007 for dual-task condition). After adjusting for these variables, depressive symptoms (adjusted OR = 2.6 with p = 0.041 and adjusted OR = 2.5 with p = 0.045 when walking time while walking only and walking with backward counting is considered, respectively) and walking time while walking only (OR = 2.3 with p = 0.032) were significantly associated with falls. CONCLUSION: Dual-task-related gait changes were poorly associated with the occurrence of a first fall and provided no additional predictive value compared to gait performance under a single task, suggesting that changes in basic clinical gait parameters while counting backward are unsuccessful to predict the first fall among older adults

Place of multidisciplinary consulting meetings and clinical trials in the management of colorectal cancer in France in 2000.

International audienceAIM: The 1998 consensus conference dealing with colon cancer, and the 2003 Cancer Plan underlined the need for multidisciplinary meetings and for including patients in therapeutic trials. The aim of this study, which pooled data from the French Cancer Registries operating within the Francim network, was to report on diagnostic and therapeutic practices in the general French population before implementation of the Cancer Plan. METHODS: The study population was composed of 2935 patients with colorectal cancer diagnosed in 2000 in twelve French administrative districts accounting for 15% of the geographical area of France. Data were collected using a standardized procedure. Three categories of place of diagnosis were defined: public university hospitals, public non-university hospitals, and private clinics. RESULTS: Overall, multidisciplinary meeting was conducted for 32.2% of patients with colorectal cancer. This proportion varied from 6.4% to 76.9%, depending on the geographical area (P75 years): 0.71, P<0.001), site (OR(rectum): 1.80, P<0.001) and health care facilities (OR(public non-university vs public university): 0.36, P<0.001, OR(private vs public university): 0.40, P<0.001) affected the use of multidisciplinary meeting. Overall, 4.3% of patients were included in a therapeutic trial. This concerned 6.2% of patients aged under 75 and 1.0% of those aged over 75 (P<0.001). The proportion of inclusions, taking into account the trials proposed in 2000 and 2001, varied from 0.7% to 16.4% according to geographical area (P<0.001). This proportion was 10.3% if there had been multidisciplinary meeting and 5.1% if not (P<0.001). Neither cancer site, gender, nor healthcare facility responsible for diagnosis influenced trial inclusion. CONCLUSION: This population-based study underlines geographical variations in the management of colorectal cancer in France. In 2000, multidisciplinary meeting was conducted for an insufficient proportion of patients, and an insufficient number of patients were included in therapeutic trials. Repeating the same survey in 2005 will provide information on the effects of the Cancer Plan and the diffusion of these recommendations

Cancer adolescent pathway in France between 1988 and 1997.

International audienceWe report an adolescent cancer pathway from referral, through diagnosis and treatment, to follow-up in France. All cases of cancer among 15-19 years, diagnosed from 1988 to 1997, recorded by nine French population-based cancer registries (10% of French population) were included. The management of adolescent cancer by paediatricians was rare. An adolescents' pathway through cancer care can be summarized as first visit to general practitioner, referral to adult oncologist for haematological malignancy and medical or surgical specialists for solid tumours, treatment in adult unit, and follow-up by adult oncologist, adult medical or surgical specialist, or general practitioner. Only 9% of the 15-19 years are entered into a clinical trial (respectively 6% and 3% into adult and paediatric clinical trial). The inclusion rate changes according to the diagnosis, higher for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (39%), non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) (27%), and acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia (20%). Only 4% of adolescent cancers were managed on shared adult/paediatric departments, especially for soft-tissue sarcomas (14.9%), malignant bone tumours (13.4), central nervous system tumours (6.2%), and NHL (4.4%). Whatever the reasons for lack of participation in clinical trials, an ideal model requiring communication and cooperation between all adult and paediatric specialists involved in adolescent cancer treatment should reduce the large gap in access to cooperative groups

Cancer survival among adolescents in France.

International audienceCancer is the third most significant cause of mortality in French adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate survival of adolescents with cancer. Overall (OS), disease-specific (DSS) and event-free survival (EFS) were used for the outcome analysis of adolescents (15-19 years) with cancer, recorded by nine French population-based registries during the 1988-1997 period. Five-year OS, DSS and EFS were, respectively, 74.0% (70.7-77.4), 74.5% (71.2-77.9), and 69.0% (65.4-72.5). Five-year DSS was 94% for carcinomas, 89% for germ-cell tumours, 85% for lymphomas, 67% for soft-tissue sarcomas, 64% for CNS tumours, 55% for malignant bone tumours, and 41% for leukaemia. Compared with paediatric series, poor results in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, malignant bone tumours, and soft-tissue sarcomas have to be highlighted, and deserve further studies concerning the type of regimens used for these patients. Multidisciplinary management of adolescent cancer in paediatric, adult, or specialized units will improve cure rates and treatment outcomes for these patients

Trends in incidence of digestive cancers in France.

International audienceThe objective of this study was to analyse trends in the incidence of digestive cancers in France. Observed incidence and mortality data in the population covered by cancer registries were modelled using age-cohort models. An estimation of the incidence/mortality ratio was obtained from these models and was applied to the mortality rates predicted from an age-cohort model for the entire French population. Site-specific standardized-incidence rates by 1-year intervals and cumulative rate 0-74 years by birth cohort were estimated. On average, age-standardized incidence rates of large bowel cancers increased by 1.0% per year in men and 0.8% in women from 1980 to 2000. The estimated cumulative rate increased from 4.0% for men born in 1913 to 4.8% for those born in 1953. The corresponding values in women were 2.5 and 2.9%. The most striking increase in incidence was seen for primary liver cancer with an increase from 2000 incident cases in 1980 to nearly 6000 in 2000. The estimated cumulative rate was 0.5% for men born in 1913 and 2.9% for those born in 1953. The increase in incidence was lower for pancreas cancer. A decrease in the incidence of stomach cancer was observed for both sexes and of oesophageal cancer in men by slightly more than 2%. The study showed large changes in the cancer burden in France between 1980 and 2000

[Cancer incidence and survival among adolescents and young adults in France (1978-1997)].

Malignancies are rare young French adults but represent the third significant cause of death in the cohort of 15-24 years of age. The aim of this study was to investigate incidence and survival rates of French adolescents and young adults with cancer. All cases of cancer occuring over a 20-year period (1978-1997) in the cohort of patients aged 15 to 24, were obtained from nine population-based registries (10 % of the French population). Basal cell carcinomas of the skin were excluded. 1161 and 1884 cases were recorded in adolescents and young adults, respectively. Overall incidence rates (IR) were 161.4/10(6) in adolescents aged 15-19 years (M/F ratio = 1.3), and 252.6/10(6) in young adults aged 20-24 years (M/F ratio : 1.2). During the 1978-97 period, the IRs appeared stable over the years, +0.4 % [CI95 % = -2.3 ; +3.1] (p = 0.79) for adolescents and +1.7 % [CI95 % = -4.0 ; +7.3] (p = 0.57) for young adults. Five-year overall survival rates were 69.1 % [CI95 % = 66.4-71.8] for adolescents and 74.5 % [CI95 % = 72.3-76.7] for young adults. The 5-year survival rate for patients 15-24 years improved from 62.0 % (CI95 % = 57.5-66.5) in 1978-82 to 80.2 % (IC95 % = 77.7-82.8) in 1993-97. Noteworthy, results in adolescents and young adults are poor compared to the ones from their younger counterparts, especially in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Ewing's sarcoma, osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and astrocytoma. Further studies are warranted to elucidate whether these differences are due to intrinsic biological properties of the tumor or to differences in clinical practices in the two populations