Systemic treatment among frail older patients with cancer: An observational cohort

In the past, certain oncological therapies were not offered to frail older patients. However, the advancement of geriatric oncology, tailored chemotherapy regimens, the introduction of new treatments, and the optimization of supportive care have contributed to enhancing the therapeutic margin. We aimed to evaluate the benefit of systemic treatment among older adults by assessing the three-month survival of older frail patients with metastatic cancer. This retrospective cohort study included patients aged 70 and over with metastatic cancer who underwent pre-therapeutic geriatric assessment at Gustave Roussy Hospital between May 2020 and May 2022 and were categorized as “frail” according to the SIOG-1 classification, whether they received systemic treatment (ST group) or exclusive supportive care (SC group). The ST group included 77 patients, and the SC group included 44 patients. Patients in the ST group had a median age of 80.6 years (82.7 years in SC group). The three-month overall survival rate was 81.8 % [95 % Confidence Interval (CI) 71.8; 88.9] in the ST group. The median survival rate was 10.6 months [95 % CI 6.3; 12.6] in the ST group. In multivariate analysis within the ST group, loss of autonomy assessed by activity of daily living (ADL) (HR 2.16 [1.09; 4.28]) and more frailty factors (HR 1.40 [1.01; 1.95]) were associated with lower three-month survival. Older frail patients with metastatic cancer may benefit from systemic oncologic treatment. The introduction of such treatment for patients with loss of autonomy in ADL or cumulative frailty factors should be considered only with caution.