Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 12, 2025

Quantifying Cognitive Decrements Caused by Cranial Radiotherapy
Published on: October 18, 2011
Conventional chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia in older adults: Impact on nutritional, cognitive, and
Claire Jouzier1, Jean-François Hamel2, Pierre-Yves Dumas3
1Clinical Hematology, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France.
Objectives:
The impact of conventional treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on the nutritional, cognitive, and functional status of elderly patients is seldom studied. This assessment was performed in the context of the LAMSA 2007 trial.
Methods:
The trial enrolled 424 patients with de novo AML. Among them, 316 benefited from geriatric assessment (GA) including nutritional, cognitive, and functional status and were scored according to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) and sorror for the prediction of treatment toxicity, morbidity, and mortality. Patients were investigated at diagnosis for three times during follow-up.
Results:
This study showed that AML and its treatment have no impact on cognitive (P = .554) nor functional status (P = .842 for Activity of Daily Living and P = .087 for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living). The nutritional status improved over time (P = .041). None of these three parameters at baseline, associated or not with ECOG and sorror scores, impacted survivals or toxicities.
Conclusions:
The cognitive, functional, and nutritional status had no impact in this cohort of fit elderly AML patients without unfavorable cytogenetics. The GA tools used provided no additional information compared with ECOG and sorror scores, to predict toxicity, morbidity, or mortality due to intensive chemotherapy.
Related Concept Videos
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution

