Journal of Geriatrics and Palliative Care
Research Article
Management Patterns of the Older Population with Cancer during The Early State Of Alarm In the Valencian Autonomous Community: The GIDO GERICOV-2020 PROJECT
Gironés R1*, Paredero I2, Arnal M2, Puchades C1, Rodríguez P3, García J4, Torregrosa M5, Melián M6, Aparisi F7, Climent MA6, Maestu I5, de Julián M6, Salvador C8, Sandiego S6, Gómez N1, Soriano D1, Ávila C8, Domingo B1, Ferrero A1, Blanch S6, Perea J1, Sánchez A2 and Juan O1
1Medical Oncology Service. Hospital Universitari i Poltècnic La F.: Valencia
2Medical Oncology Service. Hospital Provincial de Castellón. Castellón
3Medical Oncology Unit. Hospital Virgen de los Liros Alcoi. Alicante
4Medical Oncology Service. Hospital Arnau de Valencia. Valencia
5Medical Oncology Service. Hospital Universitri Doctor Peset . Valencia
6Medical Oncology Service. Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología. Valencia
7Medical Oncology Unit. Hospital de Requena. Valencia
8Medical Oncology Unit. Hospital de Xàtiva. Valencia
*Address for Correspondence:
Gironés R, Medical Oncology Service Hospital, Universitari, i Poltècnic, La F.: Valencia, Spain Email: reginagiro@hotmail.com
Submission: 28 October, 2021
Accepted: 22 March, 2022
Published: 28 March, 2022
Copyright: © 2022 Sarrió RG, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
In the current care scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic, older oncology patients are especially vulnerable and find themselves facing a double threat. On the one hand, the risk of contracting an infection that we still know little about facilitated by immunosuppression and potentially aggravated by the antineoplastic treatment toxicity, co-morbidities, and the cancer severity [1]. On the other, the neoplastic disease itself, along with the risk of losing an opportunity because of the reduction of medical cancer care, due to the limitation or re-allocation of resources [2]. Therefore, one priority aspect is establishing the individual risk associated with the neoplasm and the treatment, in the context of each type of oncological patient [3]. Although cancer is assumed to be an adverse prognostic factor in patients with COVID-19 and in older persons, there is still uncertainty and a lack of robust evidence. Recommendations have surged concerning therapeutic decisions in oncology patients, and the records of cancer patients with COVID. Nevertheless, the real impact of therapeutic decisions in clinical practice remains unknown, especially in the older patient group as well as the evolution of this population group.
To increase the available evidence in the current pandemic, we aimed to retrospectively record the management of patients 70 years and older with cancer who received care in the Medical Oncology services of the hospitals belonging to the GIDO group during the early pandemic.