TY - JOUR
T1 - A Multidisciplinary Approach for the Personalised Non-Operative Management of Elderly and Frail Rectal Cancer Patients Unable to Undergo TME Surgery
AU - Ketelaers, Stijn H J
AU - Jacobs, Anne
AU - Verrijssen, An-Sofie E
AU - Cnossen, Jeltsje S
AU - van Hellemond, Irene E G
AU - Creemers, Geert-Jan M
AU - Schreuder, Ramon-Michel
AU - Scholten, Harm J
AU - Tolenaar, Jip L
AU - Bloemen, Johanne G
AU - Rutten, Harm J T
AU - Burger, Jacobus W A
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: The RESORT study is funded by the highly specialised care and research programme (TZO programme) of the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw, grant number 10070012010003). ZonMw had no role in the conceptualisation and design of the study; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2022/5/11
Y1 - 2022/5/11
N2 - Simple Summary Total mesorectal excision is the cornerstone for rectal cancer curation. However, elderly and frail patients may not be able to undergo a surgical procedure. These patients often receive no treatment at all and are at risk for developing debilitating symptoms that impair quality of life. Recent developments in the non-operative management of rectal cancer have increased the possibilities to provide patients with an alternative treatment if surgery is not possible, in an effort to avoid the onset of debilitating symptoms, improve quality of life, and prolong survival. The heterogeneity within the elderly and frail population requires a patient-centred approach to optimise treatment. The aim of this narrative review was to discuss a multidisciplinary and patient-centred treatment approach for the personalised non-operative management of elderly and frail rectal cancer patients. The narrative review also provides a practical suggestion of a successfully implemented multidisciplinary clinical care pathway, based on a literature review. Despite it being the optimal curative approach, elderly and frail rectal cancer patients may not be able to undergo a total mesorectal excision. Frequently, no treatment is offered at all and the natural course of the disease is allowed to unfold. These patients are at risk for developing debilitating symptoms that impair quality of life and require palliative treatment. Recent advancements in non-operative treatment modalities have enhanced the toolbox of alternative treatment strategies in patients unable to undergo surgery. Therefore, a proposed strategy is to aim for the maximal non-operative treatment, in an effort to avoid the onset of debilitating symptoms, improve quality of life, and prolong survival. The complexity of treating elderly and frail patients requires a patient-centred approach to personalise treatment. The main challenge is to optimise the balance between local control of disease, patient preferences, and the burden of treatment. A comprehensive geriatric assessment is a crucial element within the multidisciplinary dialogue. Since limited knowledge is available on the optimal non-operative treatment strategy, these patients should be treated by dedicated multidisciplinary rectal cancer experts with special interest in the elderly and frail. The aim of this narrative review was to discuss a multidisciplinary patient-centred treatment approach and provide a practical suggestion of a successfully implemented clinical care pathway.
AB - Simple Summary Total mesorectal excision is the cornerstone for rectal cancer curation. However, elderly and frail patients may not be able to undergo a surgical procedure. These patients often receive no treatment at all and are at risk for developing debilitating symptoms that impair quality of life. Recent developments in the non-operative management of rectal cancer have increased the possibilities to provide patients with an alternative treatment if surgery is not possible, in an effort to avoid the onset of debilitating symptoms, improve quality of life, and prolong survival. The heterogeneity within the elderly and frail population requires a patient-centred approach to optimise treatment. The aim of this narrative review was to discuss a multidisciplinary and patient-centred treatment approach for the personalised non-operative management of elderly and frail rectal cancer patients. The narrative review also provides a practical suggestion of a successfully implemented multidisciplinary clinical care pathway, based on a literature review. Despite it being the optimal curative approach, elderly and frail rectal cancer patients may not be able to undergo a total mesorectal excision. Frequently, no treatment is offered at all and the natural course of the disease is allowed to unfold. These patients are at risk for developing debilitating symptoms that impair quality of life and require palliative treatment. Recent advancements in non-operative treatment modalities have enhanced the toolbox of alternative treatment strategies in patients unable to undergo surgery. Therefore, a proposed strategy is to aim for the maximal non-operative treatment, in an effort to avoid the onset of debilitating symptoms, improve quality of life, and prolong survival. The complexity of treating elderly and frail patients requires a patient-centred approach to personalise treatment. The main challenge is to optimise the balance between local control of disease, patient preferences, and the burden of treatment. A comprehensive geriatric assessment is a crucial element within the multidisciplinary dialogue. Since limited knowledge is available on the optimal non-operative treatment strategy, these patients should be treated by dedicated multidisciplinary rectal cancer experts with special interest in the elderly and frail. The aim of this narrative review was to discuss a multidisciplinary patient-centred treatment approach and provide a practical suggestion of a successfully implemented clinical care pathway.
KW - CLINICAL COMPLETE RESPONSE
KW - COLORECTAL-CANCER
KW - ENDORECTAL BRACHYTHERAPY
KW - GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT
KW - LOCAL EXCISION
KW - NEOADJUVANT CHEMORADIATION
KW - OLDER PATIENTS
KW - ORGAN PRESERVATION
KW - QUALITY-OF-LIFE
KW - RADIATION-THERAPY
KW - elderly patients
KW - frailty
KW - multidisciplinary
KW - non operative management
KW - patient-centred approach
KW - personalised care
KW - rectal cancer
U2 - 10.3390/cancers14102368
DO - 10.3390/cancers14102368
M3 - (Systematic) Review article
C2 - 35625976
SN - 2072-6694
VL - 14
JO - Cancers
JF - Cancers
IS - 10
M1 - 2368
ER -