Background: There is a lack of information on mental health outcomes for the increasing older population. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to assess depressive symptoms, loneliness, and... Show moreBackground: There is a lack of information on mental health outcomes for the increasing older population. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to assess depressive symptoms, loneliness, and apathy in older patients with breast cancer within the first 5 years after diagnosis.Methods: Women aged >= 70 years with early-stage breast cancer were included. Multivariate linear mixed models were used to assess longitudinal changes in symptoms of depression (according to the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale), loneliness (according to the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale) and apathy (according to the Starkstein Apathy Scale) over time at 3, 9, 15, 27 and 60 months follow-up.Results: In total, 299 patients were included (mean [standard deviation (SD)] age: 75.8 [5.2] years). At 3 months follow-up, shortly after the acute treatment, 10% of patients had sig-nificant depressive symptoms, while loneliness and apathy were present in 31% and 41% of all patients, respectively. Depression, loneliness and apathy scores showed no clinically relevant changes over time in the whole cohort. Patients who received adjuvant systemic therapies (i.e. endocrine therapy and/or chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy (trastuzumab)) had si-milar mental health outcomes as those who did not. However, frail patients had more symptoms (p < 0.001) and were more prone to develop depressive symptoms over time than non-frail patients (p = 0.002).Discussion: Depression, loneliness and apathy were frequently observed in older women with breast cancer and did not change over time. Patients who received adjuvant systemic therapies had similar mental health outcomes as those who did not. However, frail patients were at higher risk to experience these symptoms.(c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Show less
Lemij, A.A.; Liefers, G.J.; Derks, M.G.M.; Bastiaannet, E.; Fiocco, M.; Lans, T.E.; ... ; Glas, N.A. de 2023
Background A decline in physical activity and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) could interfere with independent living and... Show moreBackground A decline in physical activity and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) could interfere with independent living and quality of life in older patients, but may be prevented with tailored interventions. The aim of the current study was to assess changes in physical activity and ADL/IADL in the first 5 years after breast cancer diagnosis in a real-world cohort of older patients and to identify factors associated with physical decline. Methods Patients aged >= 70 years with in situ or stages I-III breast cancer were included in the prospective Climb Every Mountain cohort study. Linear mixed models were used to assess physical activity (according to Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) hours per week) and ADL/IADL (according to the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS)) over time. Secondly, the association with geriatric characteristics, treatment, quality of life, depression, apathy, and loneliness was analyzed. Results A total of 239 patients were included. Physical activity and ADL/IADL changed in the first 5 years after diagnosis (mean change from baseline -11.6 and +4.2, respectively). Geriatric characteristics at baseline were strongly associated with longitudinal change in physical activity and ADL/IADL, whereas breast cancer treatment was not. A better quality of life was associated with better physical activity and preservation of ADL/IADL, while depression and loneliness were negatively associated with these outcomes. Discussion Geriatric characteristics, loneliness, and depressive symptoms were associated with physical decline in older patients with breast cancer, while breast cancer treatment was not.A decline in physical activity and the ability to perform activities of daily living may interfere with quality of life in older patients. This article assessed changes in physical activity and activities of daily living in the first 5 years after breast cancer diagnosis in a real-world cohort of older patients and identified factors associated with physical decline. Show less
Introduction: Studies investigating the long-term effects of breast cancer treatment on cognition in older women with breast cancer are lacking, even though preserving cognition is highly valued by... Show moreIntroduction: Studies investigating the long-term effects of breast cancer treatment on cognition in older women with breast cancer are lacking, even though preserving cognition is highly valued by the older population. Specifically, concerns have been raised regarding the detrimental effects of endocrine therapy (ET) on cognition. Therefore, we investigated cogni-tive functioning over time and predictors for cognitive decline in older women treated for early breast cancer.Methods: We prospectively enrolled Dutch women aged >70 years with stage I-III breast can-cer in the observational CLIMB study. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was performed before ET initiation and after 9, 15 and 27 months. Longitudinal MMSE scores were analysed and stratified for ET. Linear mixed models were used to identify possible pre-dictors of cognitive decline.Results: Among the 273 participants, the mean age was 76 years (standard deviation 5), and 48% received ET. The mean baseline MMSE score was 28.2 (standard deviation 1.9). Cogni-tion did not decline to clinically meaningful differences, irrespective of ET. MMSE scores of women with pre-treatment cognitive impairments slightly improved over time (significant interaction terms) in the entire cohort and in women receiving ET. High age, low educational level and impaired mobility were independently associated with declining MMSE scores over time, although the declines were not clinically meaningful.Conclusion: Cognition of older women with early breast cancer did not decline in the first two years after treatment initiation, irrespective of ET. Our findings suggest that the fear of declining cognition does not justify the de-escalation of breast cancer treatment in older women. 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Show less
Lemij, A.A.; Plas-Krijgsman, W.G. van der; Bastiaannet, E.; Merkus, J.W.S.; Dalen, T. van; Vulink, A.J.E.; ... ; Liefers, G.J. 2022
Background The percentage of older patients undergoing surgery for early-stage breast cancer has decreased over the past decade. This study aimed to develop a prediction model for postoperative... Show moreBackground The percentage of older patients undergoing surgery for early-stage breast cancer has decreased over the past decade. This study aimed to develop a prediction model for postoperative complications to better inform patients about the benefits and risks of surgery, and to investigate the association between complications and functional status and quality of life (QoL). Methods Women aged at least 70 years who underwent surgery for Tis-3 N0 breast cancer were included between 2013 and 2018. The primary outcome was any postoperative complication within 30 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included functional status and QoL during the first year after surgery, as assessed by the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 questionnaires. A prediction model was developed using multivariable logistic regression and validated externally using data from the British Bridging the Age Gap Study. Linear mixed models were used to assess QoL and functional status over time. Results The development and validation cohorts included 547 and 2727 women respectively. The prediction model consisted of five predictors (age, polypharmacy, BMI, and type of breast and axillary surgery) and performed well in internal (area under curve (AUC) 0.76, 95 per cent c.i. 0.72 to 0.80) and external (AUC 0.70, 0.68 to 0.72) validations. Functional status and QoL were not affected by postoperative complication after adjustment for confounders. Conclusion This validated prediction model can be used to counsel older patients with breast cancer about the postoperative phase. Postoperative complications did not affect functional status nor QoL within the first year after surgery even after adjustment for predefined confounders. Lay summary Surgery remains the standard of care for the majority of older patients with breast cancer. The percentage of older patients with breast cancer receiving surgery is decreasing. The reason for this decline is unknown, but it might be due to fear of complications. To better inform patients about the benefits and risks of surgery, the aim of this study was to develop a prediction model for complications after surgery. Another important aspect, especially for older adults with breast cancer, is quality of life, functional capacity, and ability to carry out daily tasks (functional status) after therapy. This study showed that quality of life and functional status did not decline after breast surgery, irrespective of the occurrence of postoperative complications.Some 41.0 per cent of older patients with breast cancer developed a postoperative complication within 30 days after surgery. The authors designed a prediction tool that can predict complication risk, with a good internal and external validity. Postoperative complications did not affect functional status or quality of life in the first year after surgery after adjustment for confounders. Show less
Purpose: Side effects are the main reason for discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy in older adults. The aim of this study was to examine geriatric predictors of treatment discontinuation... Show morePurpose: Side effects are the main reason for discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy in older adults. The aim of this study was to examine geriatric predictors of treatment discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy within the first 2 years after initiation, and to study the association between early discontinuation and functional status and quality of life (QoL). Methods: Patients aged >= 70 years with stage I-III breast cancer who received adjuvant endocrine therapy were included. The primary endpoint was discontinuation of endocrine therapy within 2 years. Risk factors for discontinuation were assessed using univariate logistic regression models. Linear mixed models were used to assess QoL and functional status over time. Results: Overall, 258 patients were included, of whom 36% discontinued therapy within 2 years after initiation. No geriatric predictive factors for treatment discontinuation were found. Tumour stage was inversely associated with early discontinuation. Patients who discontinued had a worse breast cancer-specific QoL (b = - 4.37; 95% CI - 7.96 to - 0.78; p = 0.017) over the first 2 years, in particular on the future perspective subscale (b = - 11.10; 95% CI - 18.80 to - 3.40; p = 0.005), which did not recover after discontinuation. Treatment discontinuation was not associated with functional improvement. Conclusion: A large proportion of older patients discontinue adjuvant endocrine treatment within 2 years after initiation, but geriatric characteristics are not predictive of early discontinuation of treatment. Discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy did not positively affect QoL and functional status, which implies that the observed poorer QoL in this group is probably not caused by adverse effects of endocrine therapy. Show less
Background: Previous studies have shown that survival outcomes for older patients with breast cancer vary substantially across Europe, with worse survival reported in the United Kingdom. It has... Show moreBackground: Previous studies have shown that survival outcomes for older patients with breast cancer vary substantially across Europe, with worse survival reported in the United Kingdom. It has been hypothesised that these differences in survival outcomes could be related to treatment variation. Objectives: We aimed to compare patient and tumour characteristics, treatment selection and survival outcomes between two large prospective cohorts of older patients with operable breast cancer from the United Kingdom (UK) and The Netherlands.Methods: Women diagnosed with operable breast cancer aged >70 years were included. A baseline comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed in both cohorts, with data collected on age, comorbidities, cognition, nutritional and functional status. Baseline tumour characteristics and treatment type were collected. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to compare overall survival between the cohorts. Results: 3262 patients from the UK Age Gap cohort and 618 patients from the Dutch Climb cohort were included, with median ages of 77.0 (IQR: 72.0-81.0) and 75.0 (IQR: 72.0-81.0) years, respectively. The cohorts were generally comparable, with slight differences in rates of comorbidity and frailty. Median follow-up for overall survival was 4.1 years (IQR 2.9-5.4) in Age Gap and 4.3 years (IQR 2.9-5.5) in Climb. In Age Gap, both the rates of primary endocrine therapy and adjuvant hormonal therapy after surgery were approximately twice those in Climb (16.6% versus 7.3%, p < 0.001 for primary endocrine therapy, and 62.2% versus 38.8%, p < 0.001 for adjuvant hormonal therapy). There was no evidence of a difference in overall survival between the cohorts (adjusted HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.74-1.17, p Z 0.568). Conclusions: In contrast to previous studies, this comparison of two large national prospective longitudinal multi-centre cohort studies demonstrated comparable survival outcomes between older patients with breast cancer treated in the UK and The Netherlands, despite differences in treatment allocation.(C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Show less
BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that survival outcomes for older patients with breast cancer vary substantially across Europe, with worse survival reported in the United Kingdom. It has been... Show moreBackgroundPrevious studies have shown that survival outcomes for older patients with breast cancer vary substantially across Europe, with worse survival reported in the United Kingdom. It has been hypothesised that these differences in survival outcomes could be related to treatment variation.ObjectivesWe aimed to compare patient and tumour characteristics, treatment selection and survival outcomes between two large prospective cohorts of older patients with operable breast cancer from the United Kingdom (UK) and The Netherlands.MethodsWomen diagnosed with operable breast cancer aged ≥70 years were included. A baseline comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed in both cohorts, with data collected on age, comorbidities, cognition, nutritional and functional status. Baseline tumour characteristics and treatment type were collected. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to compare overall survival between the cohorts.Results3262 patients from the UK Age Gap cohort and 618 patients from the Dutch Climb cohort were included, with median ages of 77.0 (IQR: 72.0–81.0) and 75.0 (IQR: 72.0–81.0) years, respectively. The cohorts were generally comparable, with slight differences in rates of comorbidity and frailty. Median follow-up for overall survival was 4.1 years (IQR 2.9–5.4) in Age Gap and 4.3 years (IQR 2.9–5.5) in Climb. In Age Gap, both the rates of primary endocrine therapy and adjuvant hormonal therapy after surgery were approximately twice those in Climb (16.6% versus 7.3%, p < 0.001 for primary endocrine therapy, and 62.2% versus 38.8%, p < 0.001 for adjuvant hormonal therapy). There was no evidence of a difference in overall survival between the cohorts (adjusted HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.74–1.17, p = 0.568).ConclusionsIn contrast to previous studies, this comparison of two large national prospective longitudinal multi-centre cohort studies demonstrated comparable survival outcomes between older patients with breast cancer treated in the UK and The Netherlands, despite differences in treatment allocation. Show less
BACKGROUND Acute appendicitis continues to be a challenging diagnosis. Preoperative radiological imaging using ultrasound (US) or computed tomography (CT) has gained popularity as it may offer a... Show moreBACKGROUND Acute appendicitis continues to be a challenging diagnosis. Preoperative radiological imaging using ultrasound (US) or computed tomography (CT) has gained popularity as it may offer a more accurate diagnosis than classic clinical evaluation. The optimal implementation of these diagnostic modalities has yet to be established. The aim of the present study was to investigate a diagnostic pathway that uses routine US, limited CT, and clinical re-evaluation for patients with acute appendicitis. METHODS A prospective analysis was performed of all patients presenting with acute abdominal pain at the emergency department from June 2005 until July 2006 using a structured diagnosis and management flowchart. Daily practice was mimicked, while ensuring a valid assessment of clinical and radiological diagnostic accuracies and the effect they had on patient management. RESULTS A total of 802 patients were included in this analysis. Additional radiological imaging was performed in 96.3% of patients with suspected appendicitis (n = 164). Use of CT was kept to a minimum (17.9%), with a US:CT ratio of approximately 6:1. Positive and negative predictive values for the clinical diagnosis of appendicitis were 63 and 98%, respectively; for US 94 and 97%, respectively; and for CT 100 and 100%, respectively. The negative appendicitis rate was 3.3%, the perforation rate was 23.5%, and the missed perforated appendicitis rate was 3.4%. No (diagnostic) laparoscopies were performed. CONCLUSIONS A diagnostic pathway using routine US, limited CT, and clinical re-evaluation for patients with acute abdominal pain can provide excellent results for the diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis. Show less
The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of standard outpatient re-evaluation for patients who are not admitted to the hospital after emergency department surgical... Show moreThe aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of standard outpatient re-evaluation for patients who are not admitted to the hospital after emergency department surgical consultation for acute abdominal pain. All patients seen at the emergency department between June 2005 and July 2006 for acute abdominal pain were included in a prospective study using a structured diagnosis and management flowchart. Patients not admitted to the hospital were given appointments for re-evaluation at the outpatient clinic within 24 h. All clinical parameters, radiological results, diagnostic considerations, and management proposals were scored prospectively. Five-hundred patients were included in this analysis. For 148 patients (30%), the final diagnosis was different from the diagnosis after initial evaluation. Eighty-five patients (17%) had a change in management after re-evaluation, and 20 of them (4%) were admitted to the hospital for an operation. Only 6 patients (1.2%) had a delay in diagnosis and treatment, which did not cause extra morbidity. Standard outpatient re-evaluation is a safe and effective means of improving diagnostic accuracy and helps to adapt management for patients that are not admitted to the hospital after surgical consultation for acute abdominal pain at the emergency department. Show less
Objective To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of clinical evaluation and cross-sectional imaging modalities such as ultrasound and computed tomography for patients with suspected colonic... Show moreObjective To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of clinical evaluation and cross-sectional imaging modalities such as ultrasound and computed tomography for patients with suspected colonic diverticulitis and to determine the value of these examinations in clinical decision-making. Method A prospective analysis was conducted of 802 consecutive patients that presented with abdominal pain at the emergency department. Initial clinical diagnoses and management proposals were compared to the final diagnoses and therapeutic strategies for all patients. Results Fifty-seven patients were identified with colonic diverticulitis as the final diagnosis. The positive and negative predictive values for the clinical diagnosis of colonic diverticulitis were 0.65 and 0.98 respectively. Additional cross-sectional imaging had a positive and negative predictive value of respectively 0.95 and 0.99 or higher. These additional examinations led to a correct change of the initial clinical diagnosis in 37% of the patients, and a change in management in only 7%. Conclusion The accuracy of the clinical diagnosis for colonic diverticulitis is low. Ultrasound and computed tomography have superior diagnostic accuracy but these examinations rarely change the initial management proposal. Show less
BACKGROUND: Persistence of pain after acute abdominal pain has been encountered but predictors of chronicity are insufficiently known. AIMS: To assess the course of acute abdominal pain and to... Show moreBACKGROUND: Persistence of pain after acute abdominal pain has been encountered but predictors of chronicity are insufficiently known. AIMS: To assess the course of acute abdominal pain and to explore whether chronicity is predicted by baseline demographic and clinical variables. METHODS: A follow-up study was conducted on all consecutive women who had visited an emergency department of a secondary care teaching hospital for acute abdominal pain. After a mean of 2.3years 115 women (58%) completed questionnaires. RESULTS: At follow-up 34 women (30%) still suffered from abdominal pain complaints for more than 3months the past year. Low education level (Exp(B)=4.21, p=0.017) and having experienced abuse before the age of 16 (Exp(B)=3.14, p=0.016) were significantly and independently associated with chronicity. No other socio-demographic or clinical factors predicted the outcome. CONCLUSION: At a 2.3year follow-up period nearly one third of all women with acute abdominal pain still suffered from pain. Low education level and abuse at younger age showed to be risk factors for pain persistence. Show less
