1. At-Home Care Program for Acute Myeloid Leukemia Induction Phase in Patients Treated with Venetoclax-Based Low-Intensity Regimens.
- Author
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Martínez-Roca, Alexandra, Jiménez-Vicente, Carlos, Merchán, Beatriz, Castaño-Diez, Sandra, Zugasti, Inés, Brillembourg, Helena, Bataller, Álex, Guijarro, Francesca, Cortés-Bullich, Albert, Trigueros, Ana, Pérez-Valencia, Amanda Isabel, Gallego, Cristina, Ballestar, Nuria, Rodríguez-Lobato, Luis Gerardo, Carcelero, Esther, Díaz-Beyá, Marina, Esteve, Jordi, and Fernández-Avilés, Francesc
- Subjects
THERAPEUTIC use of antineoplastic agents ,PATIENT education ,FEBRILE neutropenia ,PATIENT safety ,RESEARCH funding ,PATIENT readmissions ,EVALUATION of medical care ,RETROSPECTIVE studies ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,CANCER chemotherapy ,MEDICAL records ,ACQUISITION of data ,MYELOID leukemia ,ADVERSE health care events ,DATA analysis software ,COMPARATIVE studies ,EVALUATION - Abstract
Simple Summary: Venetoclax combined with azacitidine (VenAza) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) presents a high incidence of cytopenias and infections during initial treatment cycles, making early management challenging. To address this, our center implemented an At-Home (AH) program during the VenAza induction phase, focusing on therapy administration, patient and caregiver education, and adverse events (AEs) management. From March 2019 to May 2022, 75 patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory AML were treated with VenAza, with the experiment comparing outcomes between a hospital-based (inpatient) cohort of 24 patients initially admitted for treatment administration and an AH cohort (n = 44). Although most patients experienced grade 3–4 cytopenia (96.9%), the incidence of serious infections and other AEs was similar between groups. The AH cohort had a significantly lower hospital readmission rate after ramp-up (29.5% vs. 84.6%, p = 0.0001) and shorter hospital stays (8 vs. 13 days, p = 0.28). AH management proved to be safe and effective, optimizing resource use and improving patient and caregiver well-being. Background: Even though venetoclax in combination with azacitidine (VenAza) is considered a low-intensity regimen, its patients present a high incidence of cytopenia and infections during the first courses, making the initial management a challenging phase. Methods: This difficulty in our center led to the establishment of an At-Home (AH) program for ramp-up and follow-up patients during the VenAza combination induction phase focused on therapy administration, patient and caregiver education, and management of adverse events (AEs). A total of 70 patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (ND-AML) or relapsed/refractory AML (R/R AML) were treated with VenAza from March 2019 to May 2022. We compared outcomes between patients managed with a hospital-based (inpatient) approach and those managed through the AH program. Results: Despite most patients experiencing grade 3–4 cytopenias (96.9%), the incidence of serious infections and other AEs was comparable between both groups, with no significant difference in febrile neutropenia (42.3% vs. 27.8%, p = 0.38). Overall, the AH cohort demonstrated a significantly lower hospital readmission rate after ramp-up (29.5% vs. 84.6%, p = 0.001). Moreover, the inpatient cohort's admission days were longer than in the AH cohort (13 vs. 8, p = 0.28). Conclusions: AH management was feasible and safe, leading to better resource use, enhanced patient comfort, and improved treatment compliance. The potential of AH programs for managing low-intensity chemotherapy regimens can reduce hospital admissions and subsequently improve patient and caregiver well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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