Abstract 1827P
Background
ESMO and SIOG created a joint WG in 2019. Their goals are to improve management of the older cancer patients through education, dedicated resources and guidelines and to raise awareness on their specific needs and requirements. Therefore, the WG initiated a survey to describe the practice patterns worldwide.
Methods
All ESMO and SIOG members received a request by email to complete the survey online on 17 Feb 2020 with subsequent reminders. Questions were focused on clinical practices, perception of geriatric oncology (GO), use of screening tools such as geriatric-8 (G8), education and knowledge of guidelines. The survey was closed on 5 Apr 2020.
Results
A total of 168 participants fully completed the survey. Most of them were female (65%), aged 30-39 (58%), medical oncologists (70%) and from Europe (50%). Professionals predominantly in charge of front-line care of older patients with cancer were medical oncologists (68%); however, only 19% had a physician coordinating a GO programme at their institution. According to respondents, GO brings to oncology: detection of frailty (83%), prediction of toxicity (77%), integrative management (70%), improving older patient’s understanding of treatment and adherence (64%), providing practice guidelines (46%) and prediction of survival (41%). Most of the respondents (95%) felt the need for other scales than ECOG Performance Status, 66% knew about the G8 scale and 52% used it in their clinical practice. Non-SIOG members were significantly less aware of the G8 screening tool (56% vs 97% for SIOG members; p<0.001) and less prone to use it in clinical practice (50% vs 61% for SIOG members; p=0.002). G8 use (or knowledge) was not affected by place of work nor region of the world. Finally, 76% felt that “all oncologists should be geriatric oncologists” and 96% that they needed more information and education in GO.
Conclusions
The care of older patients with cancer is very heterogeneous. Despite the low number of responses, probably affected by the first lockdown of COVID-19 pandemic, there is a clear need for training in GO and information about the screening tools.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
ESMO/SIOG WG.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
C. Baldini: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: BMS; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: AZ; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Sanofi; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: BMS; Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: Seattle Genetics; Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: Iteos; Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: Tahio. E.G.C. Brain: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Lilly; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: BMS; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Pfizer; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: G1 Therapeutics; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: TLC PharmaChem. L. Biganzoli: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Lilly; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: AZ; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Daiichi; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Eisai; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Genomic Health; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Pierre Fabre; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Novartis; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Pfizer; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Celgene; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Genomic health; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Pierre Fabre. V. Goede: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Roche; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Janssen; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Gilead; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Heel; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Janssen; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Gilead; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Abbvie; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Berlin-Chemie. R. Kanesvaran: Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Astellas; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Johnson&Johnson; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Ipsen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Amgen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: BMS; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: MSD; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Sanofi; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Novartis; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: AZ; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Johnson&Johnson; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Pfizer; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Ipsen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Amgen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: BMS; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: MSD; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Bayer; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: AZ; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Ferring; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Sanofi; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Eisai; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Johnson&Johnson. E. Quoix: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: BMS; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Chugai; Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: Roche; Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: BMS; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Boehringer; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: OSE; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: UCPVax; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Novartis; Financial Interests, Personal, Other: BMS; Financial Interests, Personal, Other: Roche; Financial Interests, Personal, Other: Takeda. C. Steer: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: BMS; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Eisai; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: MSD; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Janssen; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: GSK; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Specialised therapeutics; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: AZ. D. Papamichael: Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Ipsen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Amgen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Merck; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Ipsen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: MSD. H. Wildiers: Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: AZ; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Biocartis; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Daiichi; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Eisai; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: KCE; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Lilly; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Novartis; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Orion corp; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Pfizer; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: PSI Cro AG; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Puma Biotechnology; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Roche; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Sirtex; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Novartis; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Roche; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, Travel: Pfizer; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, Travel: Roche. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.