title: A model for the functional assessment of elderly with myeloid neoplasms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Myeloid neoplasms are heterogeneous diseases that are more incident in the elderly. The goals of this study were to aggregate a geriatric approach to the patient assessment, to show the impact of gender, age, hemoglobin concentration and comorbidities on the functionality of elderly with myeloid neoplasms and to better understand how the instruments of functional assessment work according to the aggressiveness of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Elderly patients (≥60 years old) with myeloid neoplasms were assessed using the Karnofsky scale, Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group scale, and basic and instrumental activities of daily living scales. The hematopoietic cell transplantation-comorbidity index assessed the comorbidities. A mixed logistical regression model was fitted to estimate the impact of gender, age, hemoglobin concentration and the hematopoietic cell transplantation-comorbidity index on patients' functionality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-two patients with a mean age of 72.8 years (range: 60-92 years) were evaluated. Eighty percent had good Karnofsky and Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group scales and 39% were independent according to the daily living activity scales. All of the patients with poor Karnofsky and Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group scales were classified as dependent by the daily living activity scales. The mixed logistic regression models showed that age, gender, hemoglobin concentration and the comorbidity index impacted on the daily living activity scales. Karnofsky and Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group scales were affected by hemoglobin and the comorbidity index. The model hypothesized the hemoglobin concentration at which there was a higher risk of poor Karnofsky and Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group scales. This hemoglobin concentration depended on comorbidities and on the aggressiveness of the myeloid neoplasm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The geriatric approach improved the sensitivity and specificity of the patients' assessment. Hemoglobin concentration associated to the risk of poor Karnofsky and Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group scales depended on the comorbidity score and on the disease aggressiveness. The Karnofsky and Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group scales had higher sensitivity in patients with more aggressive diseases.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: acarbone@uol.com.br.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia Ippolito
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Carbonell
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata Maceu
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Salhab
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giampaoli
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maysa Seabra
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cendoroglo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria de Lourdes
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Chauffaille
keywords: Aged; Karnofsky performance status; Leukemia, myeloid; Myelodysplastic-myeloproliferative diseases; Performance tests
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