Geriatric-assessment Interventions to Address Functional Deficits in Older Adults w Multiple Myeloma

Summary

Myeloma is the second most common type of blood cancer in the United States. Myeloma most commonly affects older adults. While some younger individuals do get myeloma, the average age when people are first diagnosed with myeloma is around 69 to 70.

Along with having a higher risk for myeloma, older adults have an increased chance of developing other health problems or issues. However, not everyone ages in the same way. Some older adults experience major changes in health or degree of independence at relatively younger ages, while others remain quite healthy for many years. The specific issues that develop with age can also vary from person to person. One older adult may face difficulties with vision or hearing, while another may develop memory problems.

Historically, cancer doctors have not done a very good job identifying these non-cancer issues. As a result, research has focused on better ways to systematically pick up on issues that may impact cancer outcomes or quality of life. The outgrowth of this research is assessments and questionnaires referred to as "comprehensive geriatric assessments," which evaluate the health and functionality of older adults thoroughly but efficiently. In both myeloma and other types of cancer, problems identified through geriatric assessments have been shown to predict how likely people are to develop side effects of cancer treatment and predict how long people are likely to live with cancer.

Prior research has not addressed how best to help with the issues picked up through a geriatric assessment among patients undergoing treatment for myeloma, although a number of effective interventions have been shown to benefit older adults with similar problems in other settings. Therefore, the current study will test a strategy of systematically screening older adults undergoing myeloma treatment for geriatric-assessment-related deficits and referring participants to appropriate services and resources. The geriatric assessment in this study includes tests of mobility, memory, vision, hearing, and nutrition as well as questions about symptoms and social support. Individuals who have deficits in one of these areas will be referred to relevant services and resources such as physical therapy, a pharmacist, or the cancer center support program. They will then repeat the same assessment three months later, and the results will be compared to their original assessment to see if the deficit has improved, with particular attention to mobility and social support.

Conditions

• Multiple Myeloma
• Myeloma
• Disability Physical
• Disabilities Multiple

Interventions

OTHER

Supportive care interventions

Subjects will be referred to specialists and/or supportive care interventions based on issues/deficits identified on a baseline geriatric assessment. These interventions will be selected based on deficits or problems identified on baseline assessments. These include referral to physical/occupational therapy for those with physical deficits (Activities of Daily Living impairment, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living impairment, Timed Up and Go, or falls), to optometry/ophthalmology (for visual impairment), to audiology (for hearing impairment), to pharmacist (for polypharmacy), and to cancer center support program (for Mental Health Index 13 criteria).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Conquer Cancer Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Christopher E Jensen, MD · University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-12-01

Primary Completion

2023-08-04

Completion

2023-08-04

Countries

• United States

Study Locations