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Purpose: Over the past decade, Prigerson and her colleagues have shown that symptoms of ‘complicated grief’—intense yearning, difficulty accepting the death, excessive bitterness, numbness, emptiness, and feeling uneasy moving on and that the future is bleak—are distinct from depression and anxiety and are independently associated with substantial morbidity. Little is known about complicated grief experienced by family caregivers prior to the death. This study sought to examine differences in caregiver age groups and potential risk factors for complicated grief pre-death. Method: Two hundred and forty eight caregivers from multiple sites nationwide (20–86 years of age) identified themselves as primary caregivers to a terminally ill cancer patient. Each caregiver was interviewed using the following measures: the Pre-Death Inventory of Complicated Grief-Caregiver Version; the Brief Interpersonal Support Evaluation List; the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV Axis I; the Life Orientation Test-Revised; the SEPRATE Measure of Stressful Life Events; the Covinsky Family Impact Survey; and mental health access questions. Results: The study found that those under 60 years old had higher levels of complicated grief pre-death than caregivers 60 and older (t(246)=2.30, p<0.05). Significant correlations were also found between levels of complicated grief pre-loss and the following psychosocial factors: perceived social support (r=-0.415, p<0.001); history of depression (r=-0.169, p<0.05); current depression (r=-0.158, p<0.05); current annual income (Spearman rho =-0.210, p<0.01); annual income at time of patient's diagnosis (Spearman rho =-0.155, p=0.05); pessimistic thinking (r=0.320, p<0.001); and number of moderate to severe stressful life events (Spearman rho = 0.218, p=0.001). In a multi-variate analysis (R2=0.368), pessimistic thinking (Beta = 0.208, p<0.05) and severity of stressful life events (Beta = 0.222, p<0.05) remained as important factors to developing complicated grief pre-death. Conclusions: These results suggest that mental health professionals who work with caregivers should pay particular attention to pessimistic thinking and stressful life events, beyond the stress of the loved one's illness, that caretakers experience. Additionally, although not reaching significance, mental health professionals should also consider younger caregivers at greater risk for complicated grief pre-loss. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To integrate the principles of geriatric assessment into the care of older patients with cancer in order to identify vulnerable older adults and develop interventions to optimize cancer treatment. DESIGN: A brief, comprehensive, self-administered questionnaire and intervention algorithm were developed consisting of measures of geriatric assessment that are brief, reliable, validated, and predictive of mortality and morbidity in older patients. SETTING: Academic tertiary care cancer center and community-based satellite practice. PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged 65 and older with cancer. MEASUREMENTS: The questionnaire solicits information about the patient's functional status, comorbidity, psychological status, nutritional status, and social support. A scoring algorithm for referral to a multidisciplinary team was developed. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-five of 250 patients completed the questionnaire (mean age 76, range 65–95). The majority of patients were women (71%), white (95%), married (52%), and retired (90%), with a variety of tumor types and stages. Most patients (78%) completed the questionnaire on their own and reported acceptance of questionnaire length (91%), no difficult questions (94%), no upsetting questions (96%), and no missing questions (89%). The mean time to completion was 15 minutes, with a median of 12.5 (standard deviation 10, range 2–60). Information from this questionnaire helped identify physical and psychological impairments, poor nutrition, lack of social support, and untreated comorbidities. Appropriate referrals to a multidisciplinary team were made. CONCLUSION: This brief, comprehensive, self-administered questionnaire is feasible for use in the outpatient oncology setting and helped identify the needs of geriatric oncology patients. Prospective trials are needed to determine the effectiveness of the interventions offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To examine the toxicity experienced by a cohort of older women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer and the longitudinal effect on their functional status and quality of life (QOL). DESIGN: A geriatric assessment measuring functional status, comorbidity, mood, nutritional status, and QOL was performed before chemotherapy, at the end of chemotherapy, and 6 months later. SETTING: This prospective longitudinal study was conducted at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty patients aged 65 and older with Stage I to III breast cancer receiving any adjuvant chemotherapy; 49 were evaluable. MEASUREMENTS: The chemotherapy regimen and the toxicity to chemotherapy were recorded. A geriatric assessment was performed before the start of chemotherapy, on completion of chemotherapy, and 6 months after completion of chemotherapy. QOL testing was performed at the same times. RESULTS: Patients (mean age 68, range 65-84) received an anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimen (n=15) or cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m² intravenously (IV), methotrexate 40 mg/m² IV, 5-fluorouracil 600 mg/m² IV every 3 weeks for eight cycles (n=34). Grade 3 or 4 toxicity occurred in 53% (n=26), hematological toxicity in 27% (n=13), and nonhematological toxicity in 31% (n=15). Despite toxicity, there was no significant longitudinal change in functional status or QOL. CONCLUSION: Despite toxicity from adjuvant chemotherapy, this cohort of relatively young older patients maintained their functional status and QOL from before chemotherapy to 6 months postchemotherapy. Subtle changes in higher-order functioning would require assessment using different geriatric assessment tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To report on the longitudinal cognitive functioning of older women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. DESIGN: Neuropsychological and functional status testing were performed before chemotherapy and 6 months after chemotherapy. SETTING: Cancer center. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one patients aged 65 and older with Stage I to III breast cancer. Of the 31 patients enrolled, three refused posttesting, and 28 were evaluable. MEASUREMENTS: The following domains of cognitive function were examined: attention; verbal memory; visual memory; and verbal, spatial, psychomotor, and executive functions. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 71 (range 65–84): 39% Stage I, 50% Stage II, and 11% Stage III. The number of scores 2 standard deviations (SDs) below the norm were calculated for each patient before and 6 months after chemotherapy; 14 (50%) had no change, 11 (39%) worsened, and three (11%) improved ( P=.05). Seven patients (25%) experienced a decline in cognitive function, defined as a 1-SD decline from pre- to posttesting in two or more neuropsychological domains. Exploratory analyses revealed no significant difference between functional status, comorbidity, and depression scale scores and change in overall quality-of-life scores before and after chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of older women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, a subset experienced a decline in cognitive function from before chemotherapy to 6 months after chemotherapy. Further prospective study is needed to confirm these observations and to identify the subgroup at special risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-arm pilot study explored the feasibility of adapting in Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) by telephone to reduce psychological distress and to enhance coping during cancer treatment. Therapy focuses on role transitions, interpersonal conflicts, and grief precipitated by cancer. Breast cancer patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy received weekly sessions with a psychologist throughout chemotherapy and for 1 month afterwards. Patients could invite one ‘partner’ to receive individual telephone IPT. Psychosocial functioning was assessed using standardized measures at study entry, after chemotherapy, and following telephone IPT. Accrual and participation supplied evidence of feasibility: 14 patients and 10 partners were recruited, 82.5% of those eligible. Patients had a mean of 16 sessions; partners had a mean of 11. Participants rated their satisfaction with the program between ‘good’ and ‘excellent’. A test of the efficacy of telephone IPT requires a larger, randomized trial. In order to standardize the intervention, a treatment manual was developed. This study indicated the importance of outreach to family members as well as to cancer patients, intensive patient education about oncology treatment and the medical care setting, and psychosocial services that continue after cancer treatment has been completed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]