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Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has had wide‐ranging health effects and increased isolation. Older with cancer patients might be especially vulnerable to loneliness and poor mental health during the pandemic. Methods The authors included active participants enrolled in the longitudinal Thinking and Living With Cancer study of nonmetastatic breast cancer survivors aged 60 to 89 years (n = 262) and matched controls (n = 165) from 5 US regions. Participants completed questionnaires at parent study enrollment and then annually, including a web‐based or telephone COVID‐19 survey, between May 27 and September 11, 2020. Mixed‐effects models were used to examine changes in loneliness (a single item on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression [CES‐D] scale) from before to during the pandemic in survivors versus controls and to test survivor‐control differences in the associations between changes in loneliness and changes in mental health, including depression (CES‐D, excluding the loneliness item), anxiety (the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory), and perceived stress (the Perceived Stress Scale). Models were adjusted for age, race, county COVID‐19 death rates, and time between assessments. Results Loneliness increased from before to during the pandemic (0.211; P = .001), with no survivor‐control differences. Increased loneliness was associated with worsening depression (3.958; P < .001) and anxiety (3.242; P < .001) symptoms and higher stress (1.172; P < .001) during the pandemic, also with no survivor‐control differences. Conclusions Cancer survivors reported changes in loneliness and mental health similar to those reported by women without cancer. However, both groups reported increased loneliness from before to during the pandemic that was related to worsening mental health, suggesting that screening for loneliness during medical care interactions will be important for identifying all older women at risk for adverse mental health effects of the pandemic., Older breast cancer survivors and matched noncancer controls experienced similar increases in loneliness from before to during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Women who reported increased loneliness also experienced worsening depression and anxiety symptoms and higher stress during the pandemic.

BACKGROUND Little is known about longitudinal symptom burden, its consequences for well-being, and whether lifestyle moderates the burden in older survivors. METHODS The authors report on 36-month data from survivors aged ≥60 years with newly diagnosed, nonmetastatic breast cancer and noncancer controls recruited from August 2010 through June 2016. Symptom burden was measured as the sum of self-reported symptoms/diseases as follows: pain (yes or no), fatigue (on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy [FACT]-Fatigue scale), cognitive (on the FACT-Cognitive scale), sleep problems (yes or no), depression (on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale), anxiety (on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and cardiac problems and neuropathy (yes or no). Well-being was measured using the FACT-General scale, with scores from 0 to 100. Lifestyle included smoking, alcohol use, body mass index, physical activity, and leisure activities. Mixed models assessed relations between treatment group (chemotherapy with or without hormone therapy, hormone therapy only, and controls) and symptom burden, lifestyle, and covariates. Separate models tested the effects of fluctuations in symptom burden and lifestyle on function. RESULTS All groups reported high baseline symptoms, and levels remained high over time; differences between survivors and controls were most notable for cognitive and sleep problems, anxiety, and neuropathy. The adjusted burden score was highest among chemotherapy-exposed survivors, followed by hormone therapy-exposed survivors versus controls (P

BACKGROUND Platinum and etoposide with thoracic radiation followed by prophylactic cranial irradiation constitute the standard treatment for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC). Many patients with LS-SCLC are elderly with comorbidities. METHODS Individual patient data were collected from 11 phase 2 or 3 trials for LS-SCLC conducted by the National Clinical Trials Network and activated from 1990 to 2010. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), the rate of severe adverse events, and off-treatment reasons. The outcomes were compared for patients 70 years old or older (elderly patients) and patients younger than 70 years (younger patients). RESULTS Individual patient data from 1049 younger patients (81%) and 254 elderly patients (19%) were analyzed. In the multivariate model, elderly patients, in comparison with younger patients, had worse OS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-1.63; median OS for elderly patients, 17.8 months; OS for younger patients, 23.5 months) and worse PFS (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.03-1.39; median PFS for elderly patients, 10.6 months; median PFS for younger patients, 12.3 months). Elderly patients, in comparison with younger patients, experienced more grade 5 adverse events (8% vs 3%; P < .01) and more grade 3 or higher dyspnea (11% vs 7%; P = .03) but less grade 3 or higher esophagitis/dysphagia (14% vs 19%; P = .04) and less grade 3 or higher vomiting (11% vs 17%; P = .01). Elderly patients completed treatment less often, discontinued treatment because of adverse events and patient refusal more frequently, and died during treatment more frequently. CONCLUSIONS Elderly patients with LS-SCLC have worse PFS and OS and more difficulty in tolerating therapy. Future trials should incorporate assessments of elderly patients, novel monitoring of adverse events, and more tolerable radiation and systemic therapies.

BACKGROUND The current study assessed the feasibility of a mentored home-based vegetable gardening intervention and examined changes in health-related outcomes among breast cancer survivors (BCS). METHODS BCS were randomized to either a year-long vegetable gardening intervention to begin immediately or a wait-list control. Master Gardeners mentored participants in planning, planting, and maintaining 3 seasonal gardens over the course of 1 year. Participant accrual, retention, and satisfaction rates of ≥80% served as feasibility (primary outcome) benchmarks. Secondary outcomes (ie, vegetable consumption, physical activity, performance and function, anthropometrics, biomarkers, and health-related quality of life) were collected at baseline and post-intervention (1-year follow-up) using subjective and objective measures. RESULTS The trial surpassed all feasibility benchmarks at 82% of targeted accrual, 95% retention, and 100% satisfaction (ie, experience ratings of "good to excellent" and willingness to "do it again"). Compared with the controls, intervention participants reported significantly greater improvements in moderate physical activity (+14 vs -17 minutes/week) and demonstrated improvements in the 2-Minute Step Test (+22 vs + 10 steps), and Arm Curl (+2.7 vs + 0.1 repetitions) (P values

BACKGROUND Hearing and visual impairments are common among community-dwelling older adults, and are associated with psychological, functional, and cognitive deficits. However, to the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding their prevalence among older patients with cancer. METHODS The current study was a secondary analysis combining 2 prospective cohorts of adults aged ≥65 years with solid tumors who were receiving chemotherapy. The authors assessed the association between patient-reported hearing and/or visual impairment (defined as fair/poor grading by self-report) and physical function, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), anxiety, depression, and cognition. Descriptive analyses were conducted to summarize patient and treatment characteristics. One-way analysis of variance and chi-square tests were conducted as appropriate to examine differences between patients with and without sensory impairments. Logistic regression was used to analyze associations between sensory impairments and outcomes. RESULTS Among 750 patients with a median age of 72 years who had solid tumors (29% with breast/gynecological tumors, 28% with lung tumors, and 27% with gastrointestinal tumors), approximately 18% reported hearing impairment alone, 11% reported visual impairment alone, and 7% reported dual sensory impairment. Hearing impairment was associated with IADL dependence (odds ratio [OR], 1.9), depression (OR, 1.6), and anxiety (OR, 1.6). Visual impairment was associated with IADL dependence (OR, 1.9), poor physical function (OR, 1.9), and depression (OR, 2.5). Dual impairment was associated with IADL dependence (OR, 2.8), anxiety (OR, 2.3), depression (OR, 2.5), and cognitive impairment (OR, 3.2). CONCLUSIONS Sensory impairment is common among older adults with cancer. Patients with sensory impairment are more likely to have functional, psychological, and cognitive deficits. Interventions aimed at improving the vision and hearing of older adults with cancer should be studied. Cancer 2018. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

BACKGROUND A nocebo is an inert substance associated with adverse events. Although previous studies have examined the positive (placebo) effects of such inert substances, few have examined negative (nocebo) adverse event profiles, particularly in older patients who have higher morbidity and can experience frequent and severe adverse events from cancer therapy. METHODS This study focused on placebo/nocebo-exposed patients who participated in 2 double-blind, placebo-controlled, cancer therapeutic studies, namely, North Central Cancer Therapy Group trial NCCTG 97-24-51 and American College of Surgeons Oncology Group trial Z9001, with the goal of reporting the comparative, age-based adverse event rates, as reported during the conduct of these trials. RESULTS Among the 446 patients who received only placebo/nocebo and who were the focus of the current report, 161 were aged ≥65 years at the time of respective trial entry, and 5234 adverse events occurred. Unadjusted adverse event rates did not differ significantly between patients aged ≥65 years and younger patients (rate ratio, 1.01; 99% confidence interval, 0.47-2.02), and the findings were similar findings for grade 2 or worse adverse events and for all symptom-driven adverse events (for example, pain, loss of appetite, anxiety). Adjustment for sex, ethnicity, baseline performance score, and individual trial resulted in no significant age-based differences in adverse event rates. Similar findings were observed with an age threshold of 70 years. CONCLUSIONS Adverse events are equally common in older and younger cancer patients who are exposed to nocebo and thus require the same degree of clinical consideration regardless of age. Cancer 2017;123:4193-4198. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Cancer, its treatment, and associated adverse effects may accelerate the functional aging of cancer survivors. In the current study, the authors used geriatric assessment (GA) to compare the functional age of long-term cancer survivors with that of similarly aged women without a cancer history, and to examine whether functional age influences all-cause mortality differently between these 2 groups.Participants included 1723 cancer survivors and 11,145 age-matched, cancer-free women enrolled in the Iowa Women's Health Study in 1986 who completed the 2004 questionnaire (at ages 73-88 years). GA domain deficits included ≥2 physical function limitations, ≥2 comorbidities, poor general health, poor mental health, and underweight. The risk of all-cause mortality was estimated for deficits in each GA domain between 4 groups based on the cross-classification of the presence and/or absence of cancer history and GA domain deficit (the referent group was cancer-free women without a GA deficit).Both cancer history and GA domain deficits significantly predicted 10-year mortality for all GA domains. Cancer survivors without deficits had a 1.3-fold to 1.4-fold risk of mortality, similar to the 1.1-fold to 1.7-fold risk noted among cancer-free women with deficits (all P .05). Cancer survivors with deficits were found to have the highest mortality risk for 4 of 5 domains (hazard ratio range, 1.6-2.0). Mortality risk increased with the increasing number of GA deficits, which was greater in cancer survivors compared with cancer-free women.Even without GA deficits, cancer survivors appear to have an excess risk of death compared with women without cancer, and these deficits add to mortality risk. Interventions are needed to maintain or improve functional/physiological capacity as women age, especially in cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND Frailty has been suggested as a construct for oncologists to consider in treating older cancer patients. Therefore, the authors assessed the potential of creating a deficit-accumulation frailty index (DAFI) from a largely self-administered comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). METHODS Five hundred patients aged ≥65 years underwent a CGA before receiving chemotherapy. A DAFI was constructed, resulting in a 51-item scale, and cutoff values were examined for patients in the robust/nonfrail (cutoff value, 0.0

In May 2015, the Cancer and Aging Research Group, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Aging through a U13 grant, convened a conference to identify research priorities to help design and implement intervention studies to improve the quality of life and survivorship of older, frailer adults with cancer. Conference attendees included researchers with multidisciplinary expertise and advocates. It was concluded that future intervention trials for older adults with cancer should: 1) rigorously test interventions to prevent the decline of or improve health status, especially interventions focused on optimizing physical performance, nutritional status, and cognition while undergoing cancer treatment; 2) use standardized care plans based on geriatric assessment findings to guide targeted interventions; and 3) incorporate the principles of geriatrics into survivorship care plans. Also highlighted was the need to integrate the expertise of interdisciplinary team members into geriatric oncology research, improve funding mechanisms to support geriatric oncology research, and disseminate high-impact results to the research and clinical community. In conjunction with the 2 prior U13 meetings, this conference provided the framework for future research to improve the evidence base for the clinical care of older adults with cancer. Cancer 2016;122:2459-68. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

BACKGROUND The number of older cancer survivors is increasing as more adults survive to older ages. The objectives of this study were to examine trajectories of physical activity (PA) and physical function (PF) over a 2-year lifestyle counseling study and to identify characteristics of the trajectory groups. METHODS This was a secondary analysis of Reach Out to Enhance Wellness, a randomized controlled trial of home-based lifestyle counseling. The 641 participants were older (≥65 years), overweight (body mass index [BMI], 25 to 5 years) of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States (21 states) who had been randomly assigned to an immediate intervention or a 12-month-wait-listed control arm. The main outcome measures were PA and PF trajectory group membership. RESULTS Three PA groups and 5 PF trajectory groups were observed. The baseline BMI (P

A nocebo is an inert substance associated with adverse events. Although previous studies have examined the positive (placebo) effects of such inert substances, few have examined negative (nocebo) adverse event profiles, particularly in older patients who have higher morbidity and can experience frequent and severe adverse events from cancer therapy.This study focused on placebo/nocebo-exposed patients who participated in 2 double-blind, placebo-controlled, cancer therapeutic studies, namely, North Central Cancer Therapy Group trial NCCTG 97-24-51 and American College of Surgeons Oncology Group trial Z9001, with the goal of reporting the comparative, age-based adverse event rates, as reported during the conduct of these trials.Among the 446 patients who received only placebo/nocebo and who were the focus of the current report, 161 were aged ≥65 years at the time of respective trial entry, and 5234 adverse events occurred. Unadjusted adverse event rates did not differ significantly between patients aged ≥65 years and younger patients (rate ratio, 1.01; 99% confidence interval, 0.47-2.02), and the findings were similar findings for grade 2 or worse adverse events and for all symptom-driven adverse events (for example, pain, loss of appetite, anxiety). Adjustment for sex, ethnicity, baseline performance score, and individual trial resulted in no significant age-based differences in adverse event rates. Similar findings were observed with an age threshold of 70 years.Adverse events are equally common in older and younger cancer patients who are exposed to nocebo and thus require the same degree of clinical consideration regardless of age. Cancer 2017;123:4193-4198. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

BACKGROUND The number of survivors of breast cancer aged ≥65 years (“older”) is growing, but to the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding the cognitive outcomes of these individuals. METHODS A cohort of cognitively intact older survivors with nonmetastatic, invasive breast cancer was recruited from 78 sites from 2004 through 2011; approximately 83.7% of the survivors (1280 survivors) completed baseline assessments. Follow‐up data were collected at 6 months and annually for up to 7 years (median, 4.1 years). Cognitive function was self‐reported using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ‐C30); scores ranged from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better function. Group‐based trajectory modeling determined trajectories; women were assigned to a trajectory group based on the highest predicted probability of membership. Multinomial logistic regression evaluated the association between receipt of chemotherapy (with or without hormonal treatment) and trajectory group. RESULTS Survivors were aged 65 to 91 years; approximately 41% received chemotherapy. There were 3 cognitive trajectories: “maintained high” (42.3% of survivors); “phase shift” (50.1% of survivors), with scores slightly below but parallel to maintained high; and “accelerated decline” (7.6% of survivors), with the lowest baseline scores and greatest decline (from 71.7 [standard deviation, 19.8] to 58.3 [standard deviation, 21.9]). The adjusted odds of being in the accelerated decline group (vs the maintained high group) were 2.1 times higher (95% confidence interval, 1.3‐3.5) for survivors who received chemotherapy (with or without hormonal therapy) versus those treated with hormonal therapy alone. Greater comorbidity and frailty also were found to be associated with accelerated decline. CONCLUSIONS Trajectory group analysis demonstrated that the majority of older survivors maintained good long‐term self‐reported cognitive function, and that only a small subset who were exposed to chemotherapy manifested accelerated cognitive decline. Future research is needed to determine factors that place some older survivors at risk of experiencing cognitive decline. Cancer 2016;122:3555–3563. © 2016 American Cancer Society, Among older survivors of breast cancer who were followed for up to 7 years, approximately 42% reported maintaining high cognitive function, but receipt of chemotherapy (with or without hormonal therapy) appeared to double the odds of being in the group that reported accelerated cognitive decline (vs maintaining high function), compared with receiving hormonal treatment alone. Further research is needed to determine factors that place some older survivors at risk of experiencing cognitive decline.

Currently, there are over 11 million cancer survivors in the United States alone, and 61% of survivors are 65 years of age and older.1 As a result of trends toward aging and continued progress in cancer screening and care, the number of older cancer survivors is expected to double over the next 50 years.2 Although the rapid increase in cancer survivorship is encouraging, the long-term health consequences of cancer and its treatment are fast becoming a public health concern. Research indicates that compared to persons without cancer histories, cancer survivors are more likely to develop progressive, recurrent, and secondary cancers, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases.3-6 Although all older adults are at increased risk for functional decline, the risk is even greater for those with cancer histories.7-9 Reasons for cancer survivors’ increased risk of developing illnesses and health conditions may include cancer treatment-related sequelae, genetic predisposition, or lifestyle factors.10 Healthy lifestyle practices, including regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise and consumption of a plant-based, low-fat diet, have been associated with better physical functioning among breast and prostate cancer survivors aged 60 and older.11 Positive associations between exercise and physical and functional well-being have been replicated among colorectal and breast cancer survivors of various ages.12-14 Data also suggest that exercise may reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and mortality among colorectal and breast cancer survivors.15-17 Unfortunately, a large proportion of cancer survivors do not adhere to national guidelines regarding physical activity and diet.18, 19 National surveys reveal few lifestyle differences between individuals diagnosed with cancer and the general population, of whom the vast majority do not adhere to national guidelines.18, 19 Male cancer survivors and those who are less educated or over the age of 65 are even less likely to make healthy lifestyle changes or maintain them.20 Although the majority of cancer survivors are 65 years of age and older, little research has been conducted specifically among older survivors to examine their health behaviors and quality of life (QoL), especially during the long-term post-treatment period.21 In conducting screening interviews for a diet and exercise intervention trial that targeted older, long-term survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer, we had an opportunity to assess exercise, diet quality, body weight status, and physical and mental QoL by gender and cancer type and also explore associations between lifestyle practices and body weight status in relation to physical and mental QoL.

Background. Despite advances in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), optimal therapy of the central nervous system (CNS) remains controversial. Methods. Between 1973 and 1985, 540 children with ALL (199 standard risk and 341 high risk) were treated on four protocols. Results. The 7-year event-free survival rate (standard error) was 62.1% (± 2.1) for the entire group: 71.8% (± 3.2) for standard-risk and 56.4% (± 2.7) for high-risk patients. Five hundred eighteen of the children entered complete remission and received cranial irradiation with intrathecal methotrexate for CNS treatment; 197 had standard-risk ALL and 321 had high-risk ALL. Thirty-one patients (5 standard risk and 26 high risk) had a CNS relapse with or without concurrent bone marrow relapse as an initial event, the latest of which was observed 49 months after complete remission. The cumulative incidence of CNS relapse was 6.0% (± 1.1) for the entire group: 2.5% (± 1.1) for standard-risk and 8.2% (± 1.5) for high-risk patients (P = 0.01). CNS recurrence of leukemia, whether as an “isolated” site or a “combined” site of relapse, was a major adverse event. Only 4 of 31 patients were alive for 25+, 28+, 54+, and 71+ months after a CNS relapse. The median survival time after CNS relapse was 22 months: 21 months for the 20 patients who had an isolated CNS relapse, and 23 months for the 11 patients who had a CNS relapse concurrent with a recurrence in other sites. Conclusions. Although attempts to diminish CNS treatment-related morbidity are warranted for standard-risk patients, the authors recommend that intensive CNS treatment be enhanced for the high-risk patients because CNS relapses continue to occur in this population. Furthermore, CNS relapse after cranial irradiation was associated with a very poor prognosis and needs to be treated as intensively as a bone marrow relapse. Cancer 1993; 72:261–70.

Background. The combination of a primary osteosarcoma of bone with a second carcinomatous cell type has been recognized, although immunohistochemical studies currently have not been performed in an attempt to understand the histogenesis of such a tumor. Methods. In this report, the authors performed immunohistochemical studies on a primary osseous carcinosarcoma. Using a biotin-streptavidin peroxidase conjugate technique, the expression of keratin, epithelial membrane antigen, and vimentin was analyzed. The epithelial cells expressed cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen but did not express vimentin. The mesenchymal cells strongly expressed vimentin, and only rare cells expressed cytokeratin. Conclusions. The clinical, morphologic, and immunophenotypic data in this instance strongly suggest divergent differentiation of a primitive multipotential uncommitted stem cell in a primary osseous tumor. Cancer 1993: 712977-82. Results.

Background. Recent reports of secondary acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) occuring in children previously treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) prompted a review of patients with ALL treated at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute consortium (DFCI) between 1973 and 1987. Seven hundred fifty-two of 779 children treated for ALL entered complete remission. The mean follow-up time for the 752 patients was 4.4 years. Two children had AML develop 12 and 13 months after the diagnosis of ALL, respectively. Methods. The estimated overall risk of secondary AML was calculated for the patient population as instances per 1000 patient-years of follow-up. This was compared with recent reported cases from another institution. Results. The estimated overall risk of secondary AML was 0.61 instances per 1000 patient-years of follow-up (95% confidence interval: 0.15, 4.4). The difference between the risk of 0.61 among DFCL patients versus previously reported risk of 5.8 among a differently treated group of patients with ALL was statistically significant (P= 0.0008). No epipodophyllotoxin was used in the patients in the DFCI consortium. In contrast, an epipodophyllotoxin was used in 12 of 13 previously reported patients who had secondary AML develop. Conclusions. The authors concluded that the use of epipodophyllotoxins may be associated with an increased risk of having secondary AML develop in patients with ALL.

BACKGROUND. Significant barriers to cancer patients receiving mental health treatment for distress have been reported in the literature. The objective of the current study was to determine whether distress in older patients (aged 65 years and older) would be reduced with educational materials (EM) supplemented by monthly telephone monitoring (TM) (TM + EM) compared with the use of EM alone because of more timely referrals to appropriate health professionals. METHODS. One hundred ninety-two older patients with breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers who had advanced disease and currently were receiving treatment were randomized to receive either TM + EM or EM alone. One hundred thirty-one patients were evaluated by telephone interview for psychologic and physical distress and for social support at baseline and at 6 months using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)-QLQ-C30 quality-of-life questionnaire, and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey. Patients who in the TM + EM group were called monthly for 6 months to monitor their distress using the HADS and EORTC physical symptom items and the MOS Social Support Survey items, with cutoff levels were established to indicate which patients were in greater distress. Those patients who scored above the cutoff levels were referred to their oncology nurse for referral to the appropriate professional. Patients in the EM group received written materials regarding cancer-related psychosocial issues and available resources. RESULTS. At 6 months, patients in the TM + EM group reported significantly less anxiety (HADS; P < .0001), depression (HADS; P = .0004), and overall distress (HADS; P < .0001) compared with patients in the EM group. CONCLUSIONS. Monthly monitoring of older patients' distress with TM and EM along with referral for appropriate help was found to be an efficient means of reducing patients' anxiety and depression compared with patients who received only EM. Cancer 2006. Published 2006 American Cancer Society.

Background As the U.S. population ages, there is an emerging need to characterize the "functional age" of older patients with cancer to tailor treatment decisions and stratify outcomes based on factors other than chronologic age. The goals of the current study were to develop a brief, but comprehensive, primarily self-administered cancer-specific geriatric assessment measure and to determine its feasibility as measured by 1) the percentage of patients able to complete the measure on their own, 2) the length of time to complete, and 3) patient satisfaction with the measure. Methods The geriatric and oncology literature was reviewed to choose validated measures of geriatric assessment across the following domains: functional status, comorbidity, cognition, psychological status, social functioning and support, and nutritional status. Criteria applied to geriatric assessment measurements included reliability, validity, brevity, and ability to self-administer. The measure was administered to patients with breast carcinoma, lung carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, or lymphoma who were fluent in English and receiving chemotherapy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY) or the University of Chicago (Chicago, IL). Results The instrument was completed by 43 patients (mean age, 74 yrs; range, 65-87 yrs). The majority had AJCC Stage IV disease (68%). The mean time to completion of the assessment was 27 minutes (range, 8-45 mins). Most patients were able to complete the self-administered portion of the assessment without assistance (78%) and were satisfied with the questionnaire length (90%). There was no association noted between age (P = 0.56) or educational level (P = 0.99) and the ability to complete the assessment without assistance. Conclusions In this cohort, this brief but comprehensive geriatric assessment could be completed by the majority of patients without assistance. Prospective trials of its generalizability, reliability, and validity are justified.

BACKGROUND Older cancer survivors use healthcare services to an increased extent relative to their counterparts who have no history of malignant disease. In the current study, the authors set out to assess the effects of cancer history and comorbid conditions on healthcare use and mortality. METHODS Using information from the 1992 North Carolina Established Populations for Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly database, study participants were classified as having no history of malignant disease or as having a recent (cancer diagnosed 6 years earlier) history of malignancy. Overall, 15 different comorbid conditions were ascertained. Logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic factors, tobacco and alcohol use, and functional measures were used to determine the risk of emergency room, hospital, and nursing home (NH) admission in 1992 and also in 1996 according to history of malignancy and presence of comorbid conditions. Using data from the National Death Registry, a similar controlled analysis of 7-year mortality also was performed. RESULTS There were 2567 participants in the current study (mean age, 79 years; range, 71–102 years); 69% of all participants were women, 55% were African American, and 14% reported having a history of malignancy. Participants with a history of malignancy had an average of 3 comorbid conditions, and differences across groups in terms of cardiovascular and lung disease incidence were noted. Controlled analyses revealed that recent cancer history (odds ratio [OR], 15.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.0–34.2) and intermediate cancer history (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.4–3.3) were associated with same-year hospital admission. In addition, having a recent history of malignancy in 1992 was found to be correlated with NH admission 4 years later (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.1–9.1). History of malignancy was not associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS Cancer history had limited influence on healthcare use and mortality. Efforts aimed at improving health-related outcomes in older cancer survivors should continue to focus on attenuating the impact of comorbid conditions. Cancer 2004. Published 2004 by the American Cancer Society.

A patient is described with carcinoma of the larynx, locally irradiated and “cured” without evidence of distant metastases. Concomitant with the radiation treatment, he sustained trauma to certain areas of the body as a result of the application of a spica cast and crutch ambulation. Subsequently, metastases developed in areas of the skin, bone, and lymph nodes which had been previously traumatized. The unusual distribution of metastases is discussed with respect to the role of trauma in determining the localization of metastatic lesions, and the implications of the delay in the appearance of metastases following “cure” of a primary lesion are considered.