News
Welcome back to ACADI’s Newsletter – the final one for 2024! As the year draws to a close, we have some updates to share before wishing you all a very happy holiday season.
Abstracts accepted
Join us in congratulating PhD student Gladys Langue and visiting researcher Dr. Lisa Zangarini for having their abstracts accepted for the European Young Family Doctors Movement (EYFDM) conference! The conference is scheduled for April 2025.
Gladys Langue will present the findings from her systematic scoping review titled “Attribution of Non-Specific Symptoms to Potential Cancer in General Practice: A Systematic Scoping Review.”
Dr. Zangarini will lead two interactive workshops: “Ethical Considerations for Young Doctors Working in Global Health” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes: General Practice Meets Orthopaedics — A Joint Effort to Review Common Best Practices and Pitfalls.”
We look forward to seeing your work take the stage!
Interview with SERVIOR
Dr Sophie Pilleron was interviewed by SERVIOR, a public establishment dedicated to the care of older adults – in particular through a network of retirement homes and care services. This interview covers Dr Pilleron’s professional background and her insights on the field of cancer in older adults. You can read more here: https://www.servior.lu/aines-et-cancer-on-peut-mieux-faire-selon-dr-sophie-pilleron-chercheuse-au-lih/.
Departmental Presentation
Gladys Langue recently represented ACADI at the Department of Precision Health’s annual staff meeting, where she presented our upcoming study; REDICO-Qual. This study aims to investigate how general practitioners diagnose cancer in cases of non-specific symptoms and how the exchange of information between oncologists and patients influences final treatment decisions. The study is set to launch early next year, pending the necessary approvals. Stay tuned for further updates as we are interested to hear your thoughts as the study develops! We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) and ThinkPinkLux for their invaluable support of our initiatives. We look forward to what these partnerships will bring in the near future.
Publications
It has been a busy time for publications in ACADI!
The first publication of the REDICO project has been put in press. The paper, led by Dr India Pinker is entitled: “The role of healthcare professionals’ attitudes in treatment decision-making for older adults with cancer: A scoping review”. You can have a read here: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1k5%7EI6hK%7E08XgN
Dr Sophie Pilleron has two new papers out entitled: “Designing observational studies to estimate treatment effects in geriatric oncology: A closer look at confounding and its mitigation”, which can be read here: https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1k9y~6hK~08Xhc
and
“Updated cancer burden in oldest old: a population-based study using 2022 Globocan estimates”, which can be found here: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1k9y%7E6gzKuTtgY
Meet the Team
We have a new team member we are happy to introduce this month, Dr Clémence Bafei!
Hi, I’m Clémence Bafei, an epidemiologist from Togo. I am thrilled to join the Ageing, Cancer, and Disparities (ACADI) Research Unit to work on the “Reducing Disparities in Cancer Outcomes (REDICO)” project.
My journey into the field of ageing and health began during my PhD, where my primary focus was on biological ageing. Alongside my main research, I contributed to projects investigating risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and mortality, their interactions, and how these vary across age groups. For instance, one of my studies demonstrated that the direction of the interaction between abnormal lipids and c-reactive protein levels on cardiovascular diseases varied by age group. In another project, I found that the association between c-reactive protein and all-cause death differed significantly across age groups. These works provided critical insights for public health strategies and interventions. My core PhD research centered on developing and validating biological age models using data from two cohorts of the Chinese population. This work aimed to establish a reliable biological age estimation model that could track ageing, monitor health status over time, and predict mortality risk.
Joining ACADI marks an exciting new chapter in my career. One of the unit’s key objectives which is to strengthen evidence on treatment strategies for older cancer patients aligns closely with my passion for improving health outcomes in ageing populations. This opportunity allows me to move from studying risk factors to actively contributing to patient treatment, particularly in geriatric oncology. I am excited to be part of this dynamic, multidisciplinary research team, where we will collectively strive to make meaningful advancements in geriatric oncology. As the saying goes, “The best way to help older adults is to empower them with knowledge and care.” and I am honored to contribute to this important mission.” ~ Dr Clémence Bafei
Until next time, we wish you a happy festive season with your loved ones!
The ACADI Team