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Purpose: To determine factors associated with early functional decline during first-line chemotherapy in older patients., Patients and Methods: Patients age ≥ 70 years receiving first-line chemotherapy for cancer were prospectively considered for inclusion across 12 centers in France. Functional decline was defined as a decrease of ≥ 0.5 points on the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale between the beginning of chemotherapy and the second cycle. Factors associated with functional decline were sought from pretreatment abbreviated comprehensive geriatric assessment, including ADL, Instrumental ADL (IADL), Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15), and Timed Get Up and Go (GUG) test, and from comorbidities (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatrics), MAX2 index, and baseline biologic and clinical information., Results: Of 364 included patients, 50 experienced functional decline (16.7%; median, 0.5 points). Abnormal preadmission performance status, IADL, GDS15, MMSE, GUG, and MNA were associated with increased likelihood of functional decline (univariate analysis). In the multivariate model adjusted for baseline ADL and MAX2 index, high baseline GDS (odds ratio [OR], 2.16; 95% CI, 1.09 to 4.30; P = .03) and low IADL scores (OR, 2.87; 95% CI, 1.06 to 7.79; P = .04) were independently associated with increased risk of functional decline., Conclusion: Our results outline associations between baseline depression, instrumental dependencies, and early functional decline during chemotherapy for older patients. ADL should be sequentially evaluated early during treatment. Baseline evaluation of GDS15 and IADL may be proposed to anticipate this event.

Purpose: Objective factors for making choices about the treatment of elderly patients with cancer are lacking. This investigation aimed to help physicians select appropriate treatments through the identification of factors that predict early death (< 6 months) after initiation of chemotherapy treatment., Patients and Methods: Previously untreated patients greater than 70 years of age who were scheduled for first-line chemotherapy for various types of cancer were included. Baseline abbreviated comprehensive geriatric assessment (aCGA), including the Mini-Mental State Exam, Timed Get Up and Go (GUG), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activities in Daily Living (IADL), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15), and comorbidities index (Cumulative Index Rating Scale-Geriatric), was carried out. Prognostic factors of early death were sought from aCGA results and traditional oncology measures., Results: A total of 348 patients were included across 12 centers in Southwest France (median age, 77.45 years; ratio of men to women, 1.47; advanced disease, 65%). Abnormal aCGA scores were observed for 18.1% of patients on the ADL, 73.0% of patients on the IADL, 24.1% of patients on the GUG, 19.0% of patients on the MMS, 44.0% of patients on the GDS15, and 64.9% of patients on the MNA. Advanced disease (odds ratio [OR], 3.9; 95% CI, [1.58 to 9.73]), a low MNA score (OR 2.77; 95% CI, [1.24 to 6.18]), male sex (OR, 2.40; 95% CI, [1.2 to 4.82]), and long GUG (OR, 2.55; 95% CI, [1.32 to 4.94] were associated with higher risk of early death., Conclusion: In patients greater than 70 years of age with cancer, advanced disease, a low MNA score, and poor mobility predicted early death. We recommend that the MNA and GUG, performed by a trained nurse, be maintained as part of routine pretreatment workup in these patients to identify at-risk patients and to inform the decision-making process for chemotherapy.

Purpose: A randomized unblinded phase III trial was designed to determine the ability of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to accelerate recovery from febrile neutropenia induced by chemotherapy., Patients and Methods: A total of 68 patients with febrile neutropenia following chemotherapy defined as axillary temperature greater than 38 degrees C and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) less than 1 x 10(9)/L were included. After stratification for high- and low-risk chemotherapy to induce febrile neutropenia, treatment was randomized between GM-CSF at 5 microg/kg/d or control, both being associated with antibiotics., Results: GM-CSF significantly reduced the median duration of neutropenia from 6 to 3 days for ANC less than 1 x 10(9)/L(P < .001) and from 4 to 3 days for ANC less than 0.5 x 10(9)/L (P=.024), days of hospitalization required for febrile neutropenia, and duration of antibiotics during hospitalization. The greatest benefit with GM-CSF appeared for patients who had received low-risk chemotherapy, for which the median duration of ANC less than 1 x 10(9)/L was reduced from 7 to 2.5 days (P < .001) and from 4 to 2 days for ANC less than 0.5 x 10(9)/L (P=.0011), the duration of hospitalization during the study from 7 to 4 days (P=.003), and the duration on antibiotics during hospitalization from 7 to 3.5 days (P < .001). A multivariate analysis, using Cox regression, showed that variables predictive for recovery from neutropenia were GM-CSF (P=.0010) and time interval between the first day of chemotherapy and randomization (P=.030). There was no benefit for GM-CSF when high-risk chemotherapy was considered., Conclusion: GM-CSF significantly shortened duration of neutropenia, duration of neutropenic fever-related hospitalization, and duration on antibiotics during hospitalization when febrile neutropenia occurred after low-risk chemotherapy, but not high-risk chemotherapy.