Hospitalization Risk According to Geriatric Assessment and Laboratory Parameters in Elderly Hematologic Cancer Patients

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Utilizing geriatric screening tools for the identification of vulnerable older patients with canceris important. The aim of this study is to evaluate the hospitalization risk of elderly hematologic cancer patientsbased on geriatric assessment and laboratory parameters. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: In this cross sectional study61 patients with hematologic malignancies, age 65 years and older, were assessed at a hematology outpatientclinic. Standard geriatric screening tests; activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living(IADL), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), timed up and go test(TUG), geriatrics depression scale (GDS) were administered. Demographic and medical data were obtained frompatient medical records. The number of hospitalizations in the following six months was then recorded to allowanalysis of associations with geriatric assessment tools and laboratory parameters. <br/><b>Results</b>: The median age of thepatients, 37 being males, was 66 years. Positive TUG test and declined ADL was found as significant risk factorsfor hospitalization (p=0.028 and p=0.015 respectively). Correlations of hospitalization with thrombocytopenia,vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency were statistically significant (p=0.004, p=0.011 and p=0.05 respectively).<br/><b>Conclusions</b>: In this study, geriatric conditions which are usually unrecognized in a regular oncology office visitwere identified. Our study indicates TUG and ADL might be use as predictive tests for hospitalization in elderlyoncology populations. Also thrombocytopenia, and vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies are among the riskfactors for hospitalization. The importance of vitamin B12 and folic acid vitamin replacement should not beunderestimated in this population.