Physical and Psychological Impairments As Practical Frailty Markers in Elderly AML Fit for Intensive Chemotherapy; Interim Data of a Prospective Cohort Study

Background

The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) typically refers to a multidimensional assessment designed to evaluate an older person's functional ability, physical health, cognition, psychological health, nutritional status, and social support. There is a significant heterogeneity in terms of their underlying health and resilience to the burden of disease and treatments in elderly AML (eAML). To date, a few have evaluated the predictive value of CGA among newly diagnosed eAML. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential clinical value of CGA as a screening test for frailty in eAML. We designed a comprehensive CGA battery with measures which previously validated, standardized, and widely used. This study is a single-center prospective observational cohort study focused on discriminating between those older patients who are fit for intensive therapies and those who are vulnerable and may experience excess toxicity.

Patients and method

This prospective cohort study is to investigate the predictive values of each domain of CGA to discriminate vulnerable patients in eAML fit for intensive chemotherapy. Between November 2016 and July 2019, we enrolled newly diagnosed eAML patients aged ≥60 years considered fit for intensive chemotherapy, who had adequate performances and organ functions. All the enrolled patients were administered various questionnaires for an initial CGA and functional evaluation divided into 3 categories; (1) Social and Nutritional support (OARS and MNA), (2) Psychological (MMSE-KC, SGDS-K, PHQ-9, NCCN distress thermometer, MADRS, and KNU-DESC), and (3) Physical function (ECOG, KIADL, SPPB, Handgrip strength, and PTA by professional ENT evaluation).

Results

Seventy-seven patients were enrolled, in whom the median age of 64 years (range, 60-74), 58.4% were males, and 93.5% and 77.9% of patients had on ECOG score of 0~1 and HCT-CI score of 0~2, respectively. All enrolled patients were treated with intensive chemotherapy, and 62.3% achieved the first complete remission. Three patients experienced early death within 60 days (3.9%). During induction chemotherapy, the median recovery period for neutrophil and platelet counts was 26 (range, 24-29) and 30 (range, 27-33) days, respectively. The median hospitalization days for induction chemotherapy were 32 days (range, 21-104), and infection and GI complications (NCI-CTC-AE based any grade 79.2% and 67.5% respectively) were the most common complications primarily affecting tolerance to the initial chemotherapy. The grade III to IV infection, GI complications, hepatopathy, and acute kidney injury developed in 67.5%, 42.9%, 37.7%, and 16.9% of patients, respectively. Physical impairments were significantly associated with a higher incidence of infection (intact vs. any impairments; 46.4% vs. 79.6%, p=0.003), of which handgrip strength was most accurate tool to predict infection risk (p =0.032), and a trend of more GI complications (intact vs. any impairments; 28.6% vs. 51.0%, p=0.056), resulting in prolonged hospitalization (intact vs. any impairments; 32.2±1.7 days vs. 37.5±2.1 days, p=0.088) for the period of induction chemotherapy. Psychological impairment (intact vs. any impairments; 30.9±1.3 days vs. 38.2±2.1 days, p=0.005), particularly cognitive dysfunction measured by MMSE-KC (p=0.033), was also significantly associated with prolonged hospitalization.

Conclusions

This data demonstrates that a significant proportion of eAML fit for intensive chemotherapy based on performance status and comorbidity had social, nutritional, physical, psychological impairments by initial CGA assessments. These interim data focusing on early events suggest that impaired physical and/or psychological functions would be useful to identify eAML with intolerance to intensive chemotherapy. This ongoing exploratory prospective study will enroll more eAML patients (targets number=100) and further follow up currently enrolled patients, which will give us invaluable data to develop practical frailty marker and a new model for fitness for intensive chemotherapy.