Care for older adults with cancer is complex, as older patients tend to have multiple chronic conditions that need to managed along with their cancer diagnosis. Our program is actively involved in research focused on how best to care for older adults with hematologic malignancies.
Research Studies
Our main research study, Patient-Centered Care for the Older Adults with Hematologic Malignancies, evaluates the effectiveness of a geriatrician’s involvement in an older patient’s care team. Patients who participate in this study will have an initial assessment to assess frailty and will be randomized to have follow-up care with a geriatrician. Our research team will assess whether the involvement of a geriatrician helps to reduce frailty, improve outcomes, and decrease the number of non-scheduled hospital admissions.
In addition, we offer many clinical trial opportunities for patients with blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia. We encourage patients to speak with their care team to determine if a client trial is appropriate.
Published Study Results
Our team has published many findings related to the care of older adults with hematologic malignancies, including:
- Virtual frailty assessment for older adults with hematologic malignancies (DuMontier C, Jaung T, Bahl NE, Manor B, Testa M, Dieli-Conwright CM, Kim DH, Hshieh T, Driver JA, Abel GA ), Blood Advances 2022
- Impact of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications among older adults with blood cancers (Hshieh T, DuMontier C, Jaung T, Bahl N, Hawley C, Mozessohn L, Stone R, Soiffer R, Driver J, Abel GA), J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2022
- Randomized controlled trial of geriatric consultation versus standard care in older adults with hematologic malignancies (DuMontier C, Uno H, Hshieh T, Zhou G, Chen R, Magnavita ES, Mozessohn L, Javedan H, Stone RM, Soiffer RJ, Driver JA, Abel GA) Haematologica 2021 Sep 23
- Fit older adults with advanced myelodysplastic syndromes: Who is most likely to benefit from transplant? (Abel GA, Kim H, Hantel A, Steensma D, Stone R, Habib A, Ho V, Wadleigh M, El-Jawahri A, Alyea E, DeAngelo D, Koreth J, Antin J, Soiffer R, Cutler C), Leukemia 2021; 35, 1166-1175.
- Gait speed, survival, and recommended treatment intensity in older adults with blood cancers requiring treatment (Hantel A, DuMontier C, Odejide O, Luskin M, Sperling A, Hshieh T, Chen R, Soiffer R, Driver JA, Abel GA), Cancer 2021; 127(6):875-883.
- Objective performance tests of cognition and physical function as part of a virtual geriatric assessment (Bahl NE, Magnavita ES, Hshieh T, Testa M, Kim D, Manor B, Driver JA, Abel GA, DuMontier C), J Geriatr Oncol. 2021; 12(8):1256-1258.
- Guidelines for acute myeloid leukemia in older adults (Sekeres M, Guyatt G, Abel GA, Alibhai S, Altman J, Buckstein R, Choe H, Desai P, Erba H, Hourigan C, LeBlanc T, Litzow M, MacEachern J, Michaelis L, Mukherjee S, O'Dwyer K, Rosko A, Stone R, Agarwal A, Colunga-Lozano L, Chang Y, Hao Q, Brignardello-Petersen R), Blood Advances 2020; 4 (15), 3528–3549.
- Gait speed, grip strength, and clinical outcomes in older patients with hematologic malignancies (Liu, MA, DuMontier C, Murillo A, Hshieh T, Bean J, Soiffer R, Stone R, Abel GA, Driver JA), Blood 2019; 134 (4): 374-382.
- Function, Survival, and Care Utilization Among Older Adults with Hematologic Malignancies (Dumontier C, Liu MA, Murillo A, Hshieh T, Javedan H, Soiffer R, Stone RM, Driver JA, Abel GA), J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019; 67(5):889-897.
- Performance of the International Myeloma Working Group myeloma frailty score among patients 75 and older (Murillo A, Cronin A, Laubach J, Hshieh T, Tanasijevic A, Richardson P, Driver JA, and Abel GA) Geriatr Oncol. 2019; 10(3):486-489.
- Prevalence of cognitive impairment and association with survival among older patients with hematologic cancers (Hshieh T, Jung W; Grande L, Chen J, Stone R, Soiffer R, Driver J, Abel GA) JAMA Oncol. 2018; 4(5):686-693.
- Frailty and the management of hematologic malignancies (Gregory A. Abel and Heidi D. Klepin) Blood 2018, 131:515-524.
- Relationship between physician and patient assessment of performance status and survival in a large cohort of patients with hematologic malignancies (Liu M, Hshieh T, Condron N, Wadleigh M, Abel GA, Driver JA) Br J Cancer 2016; 115(7):858-61.
- Non-hematologic predictors of mortality add prognostic value to International Prognostic Scoring System for MDS in older adults (Fega R, Abel GA, Motyckova G, Sherman A, DeAngelo D, Steensma D, Galinsky I, Wadleigh M, Stone R, Driver, JA) J Geriatr Oncol. 2015;6:288-98.
- Feasibility of routine frailty screening assessment for patients in a hematologic oncology clinic: Results from a pilot study (Abel GA, Hshieh T, Condron N, Jacobson C, Steensma D, Laubach J, Stone R, Driver JA)(abstract). Blood 2015; 126 (23): 3306.
- Geriatric assessment in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia: a retrospective study of associated treatment and outcomes (Sherman A, Motyckova G, Fega R, DeAngelo D, Abel G, Steensma D, Wadleigh M, Stone R, Driver JA) Leukemia Res 2013;37(9):998-1003.