State of the scientific evidence and recommendations for the management of older patients with gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is one of the most frequent and deadly tumours worldwide. However, the evidence that currently exists for the treatment of older adults is limited and is derived mainly from clinical trials in which older patients are poorly represented. In this article, a group of experts selected from the Oncogeriatrics Section of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), the Spanish Group for the Treatment of Digestive Tumours (TTD), and the Spanish Multidisciplinary Group on Digestive Cancer (GEMCAD) reviews the existing scientific evidence for older patients (≥65 years old) with gastric cancer and establishes a series of recommendations that allow optimization of management during all phases of the disease. Geriatric assessment (GA) and a multidisciplinary approach should be fundamental parts of the process. In early stages, endoscopic submucosal resection or laparoscopic gastrectomy is recommended depending on the stage. In locally advanced stage, the tolerability of triplet regimens has been established; however, as in the metastatic stage, platinum- and fluoropyrimidine-based regimens with the possibility of lower dose intensity are recommended resulting in similar efficacy. Likewise, the administration of trastuzumab, ramucirumab and immunotherapy for unresectable metastatic or locally advanced disease is safe. Supportive treatment acquires special importance in a population with different life expectancies than at a younger age. It is essential to consider the general state of the patient and the psychosocial dimension.

Maintenance of angiogenesis inhibition with aflibercept after progression to bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer: real life study in the Valencian community

Introduction The second-line chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with FOLFIRI-aflibercept demonstrated an increase in survival compared with FOLFIRI in patients previously treated with oxaliplatin-based regimens. Few data are available in patients treated previously with bevacizumab. Our objective is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FOLFIRI-aflibercept in second-line treatment in patients who have previously received bevacizumab. Patients and methods This is a observational, retrospective study of patients with mCRC treated with FOLFIRI-aflibercept in 2nd line in eight hospitals in the Valencian Community. Survival, response, and toxicity were analyzed. Result 122 patients with a median age of 61 years were included. 89% of patients had PS 0–1. The median of PFS (progression free survival) and OS (overall survival) was 5.45 (95% CI 4.74–6.15 months) and 10.15 (95% CI 7.47–12.82 months), respectively. Disease control rate 59.8%. The most common grade 3–4 adverse events were neutropenia (13,1%) and asthenia (9%). The presence of hypertension during treatment with FOLFIRI-aflibercept was associated with a survival benefit. Median of OS was 14.45 (95% CI 11.58–17.32) in patients with hypertension vs 7.78 (95% CI 5.02–10.54) in patients without hypertension (p = .001). Our results suggest that the presence of PS 0, primary tumor surgery, metachronous metastases, and the presence of only 1 metastatic location, are favorable prognostic factors associated with better OS. Conclusions Our results confirm the value of maintaining angiogenesis inhibition with FOLFIRI-aflibercept in mCRC after progression to a first-line treatment with bevacizumab. The development of hypertension during treatment is a possible predictive marker of response (AU)

Caring for older patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Young International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) global perspective.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected millions of people in over 180 territories, causing a significant impact on healthcare systems globally. Older adults, as well as people living with cancer, appear to be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality, which means that older adults with cancer are an especially high-risk population. This has led to significant changes in the way geriatric oncologists provide care to older patients, including the implementation of novel methods for clinical visits, interruptions or delays in procedures, and modification of therapeutic strategies, both in the curative and palliative settings. In this manuscript, we provide a global overview of the perspectives of geriatric oncology providers from countries across Europe, America, and Asia, regarding the adaptive strategies utilized to continue providing high quality care for older patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through these perspectives, we attempt to show that, although each country and setting has specific issues, we all face similar challenges when providing care for our older patients with cancer during these difficult times.