Clinically Challenging Cases: Clinical Considerations for Older Patients With Glioblastoma

Clinically Challenging Cases: Clinical Considerations for Older Patients With Glioblastoma

Clinically Challenging Cases provide practical perspectives on managing older patients with GBM in an interactive, case-based format. This activity presents challenging clinical scenarios faced by physicians in their daily practice.

Release date: March 2010
Expiration date: March 31, 2011
Estimated time to complete activity: 1.0 hour

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Support for this activity has been provided through an educational grant from

Hardware/Software Requirements

  • Javascript-enabled browser
  • Adobe Flash Player 7.0+

Activity Overview
Sixty percent of patients with newly diagnosed primary glioblastoma (GBM) are between 55–74 years of age. Yet older GBM patients (≥65 years) are not routinely offered standard treatments (ie, a combination of surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy), which may lead to suboptimal patient outcomes. Several studies have shown that older patients respond well to aggressive therapy and that functional status is a more important indicator of treatment outcome than age. It is important for physicians to understand that standard GBM treatment regimens can be beneficial in otherwise healthy and functioning older patients.

Target Audience
This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of radiation oncologists, neuro-oncologists, and other health care professionals involved in the care and treatment of patients with brain cancer.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Identify patient- and tumor-specific characteristics that qualify older patients as candidates for surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy
  • Recognize complications or toxicities associated with treatment in older patients
  • Formulate a treatment plan for older patients with the goal of improving disease response and quality of life

Faculty
Lauren E. Abrey, MD – Activity Chair
Associate Professor, Department of Neurology
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Warren P. Mason, MD, FRCPC
Kirchmann Family Chair in Neurooncology Research
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
University of Toronto
Medical Director, The Gerry & Nancy Pencer Brain Tumor Centre
Princess Margaret Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Accreditation Statement
Curatio CME Institute is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation
Curatio CME Institute designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Method of Participation
There are no fees for participating in this CME activity. To receive credit during the period March 2010 to March 31, 2011, participants must (1) read the learning objectives and disclosure statements, (2) study the educational activity, (3) complete the pre- and post-survey, and (4) complete the activity evaluation form, including the participation attestation statement.

The post-survey and evaluation form can be accessed at the end of the activity. Please e-mail any questions to cmeinfo@curatiocme.com.

Medium
The Internet was selected as the instructional format to accommodate the learning preferences of a significant portion of the target audience.

Disclaimer
The information presented at this activity is for continuing medical education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician regarding diagnosis and treatment of a specific patient’s medical condition.

Disclosure
In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, all CME providers are required to disclose to the activity audience the relevant financial relationships of everyone in a position to control content of an educational activity. A relevant financial relationship is a relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services are discussed in the CME activity content over which the individual has control. Relationship information appears below:

Lauren E. Abrey, MD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:

Consultant Genentech
Speaker Schering-Plough
Employee (spouse) Novartis

Warren P. Mason, MD, FRCPC, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:

Consultant Exelixis, Merck, Roche, Schering-Plough
Speaker Schering-Plough

Curatio CME Institute
Denise C. LaTemple, PhD, Vice President, Scientific Services, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Jonathan S. Simmons, ELS, Managing Editor, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Derek Warnick, CME Director, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Thomas Finnegan, PhD, Medical Writer, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Unapproved Product Use
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Curatio CME Institute and Schering-Plough do not recommend the use of any agent outside the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in this educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of Curatio CME Institute or Schering-Plough. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

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Curatio CME Institute may collect standard Web traffic data such as time and date of visit. Curatio CME Institute uses this information to administer its Web site. Browsing activity is recorded to form aggregate and anonymous demographic information, which is used as described above. Curatio CME Institute does not sell or offer to sell any user data, including registration and billing information, to any third parties for commercial purposes. Curatio CME Institute does, when required, provide the minimum subset of information to third parties that are responsible for accreditation of and issuance of certification for CME/CE tests. By participating in the Web-based activity, the user agrees that Curatio CME Institute has full permission to provide this minimum subset of information to the third parties as required by law.

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