CLINICAL PROGRESSION AND THERAPEUTIC PATTERNS IN CANCER PATIENTS OLDER THAN 64 YEARS. PANAMA ONCOLOGIC INSTITUTE. 2012

Abstract

Due to population ageing, the number of older adults with cancer has increased tremendously. There is a shortage of information regarding demographic characteristics, clinical evolution, survival and the therapeutic patterns established for elderly patients with cancer in Panama. The objective of this research was to describe the clinical evolution and patterns of treatment carried out in patients older than 64 years diagnosed with cancer, admitted to the Instituto Oncológico Nacional of Panama, during the year 2012. The information was obtained, prior sampling non-probability for convenience, of the clinical records that were in the Department of medical records from the hospital. It is a retrospective longitudinal descriptive study which comprised 343 patients, of whom 51% were women, the average age was 75.3± 7. Prostate cancer turned out to be the most common. The most frequently observed comorbidity was hypertension and little comorbidity associated with each case was evidenced. In most records, any scale of initial functional evaluation of patients was not noted. A treatment with curative intent was offered to 71% of the patients and from this percentage, the 5.7% of patients required, finally, exclusive palliative management. The evolution, in general, was subjectively good, with little associated toxicity and most completed treatment successfully.