Saint Omer

Researchers are studying the impact of a brief motivational intervention (BMI) conducted by pharmacists to help reduce the use of benzodiazepines and related drugs (BZD/Z) in adults who have been using these medications long-term. The study addresses the growing use and prolonged prescriptions of these drugs in France, where long-term use often exceeds recommended limits and can lead to adverse effects. The goal is to see if this short-term, pharmacy-based approach can support patients in safely reducing their medication dose without worsening anxiety or sleep disorder symptoms. Participants will be divided into groups receiving either the brief motivational intervention or usual pharmacy dispensing practices. The intervention involves pharmacists identifying patients on long-term BZD/Z treatment and applying motivational techniques to encourage dose reduction. The study focuses on adults with continuous BZD/Z use for at least six months. The researchers will evaluate changes in daily drug dose and monitor any clinical worsening over a six-month period. Throughout the study, participants will be assessed for medication use and symptom changes related to anxiety and sleep disorders. Researchers will collect data on the daily dose of BZD/Z and track any clinical worsening at six months. The study includes informed consent, patient understanding assessments, and affiliation with the French social security system. The outcomes will help determine the feasibility and impact of pharmacist-led interventions for deprescribing BZD/Z in adults.

Colorectal cancer mainly affects elderly patients, with over half of new cases in France occurring in those aged 70 or older. Adjuvant chemotherapy has shown benefits in disease-free and overall survival after stage III colon cancer surgery, but its use in elderly patients remains limited. This phase III randomized study explores whether adjuvant chemotherapy improves disease-free survival in elderly patients and which chemotherapy regimen is most effective, addressing concerns about benefits for both unfit and fit elderly patients. Participants will be divided into two groups based on a multidisciplinary evaluation including a geriatrician. One group will receive fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy (LV5FU2 or capecitabine), and the other will receive oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (FOLFOX4 or XELOX). Some patients may be assigned to observation only. Treatments will begin within 12 weeks after surgery. The study also evaluates specific biological markers common in elderly tumors, such as mismatch repair deficiency. During the study, participants will undergo assessments including geriatric questionnaires and medical monitoring. Researchers will track disease-free survival over three years following the last patient's enrollment. Safety and treatment effects will be monitored, with exclusion of patients expected to live less than four years or those unable to comply with follow-up. The study aims to better understand chemotherapy benefits in an elderly population after colon cancer surgery.