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Gregory J. Riely, MD, PhD
Gregory J. Riely, MD, PhD
Posted: Monday, July 8, 2024
Based on the institutional cluster–randomized, multicenter phase III ENSURE-GA (NEJ041/CS-Lung001) study, which focused on older patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the implementation of a geriatric assessment before chemotherapy enhanced both patient satisfaction and quality of life. These findings were presented by Naoki Furuya, MD, PhD, of St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan, and colleagues during the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (Abstract 1502).
Between 2019 and 2022, a total of 1,021 patients aged 75 and older who were unable to undergo radical treatment were enrolled from 78 institutions in Japan. The population completed a standardized geriatric assessment before treatment. For those randomly assigned to the intervention group, summaries and recommendations were provided to guide physicians in selecting treatments and interventions; such information was not provided for the control group. Additionally, the investigators assessed whether the Geriatric 8 (G8) and Cancer and Aging Research Group Chemotherapy (CARG) scores calculated at enrollment may predict severe adverse events during a 3-month follow-up.
No significant differences in patient characteristics and geriatric assessment domains were observed between the groups. The 1-year overall survival (20.7 vs 18.8 months; P = .414) and incidence of adverse events of grade 3 or higher in patients receiving treatment (36.8% vs 38.1%; P = .732) also did not appear to significantly differ. Regarding adverse events of grade 3 or higher in those undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve by the G8 score was 0.525. Furthermore, based on the CARG score, the incidence of adverse events did not differ between patients with low-risk and high-risk disease.
“Additional studies are needed before incorporating geriatric assessment into an adverse event prediction system,” the investigators concluded. “Developing risk-scoring tools specific to cancer types and races may prove useful.”
Disclosure: Dr. Furuya reported no conflicts of interest. For full disclosures of the other study authors, visit coi.asco.org.
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