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Updated on: 25/09/2026
Coordinated by the University of Bordeaux, the European research and innovation project Geronte is trialling a new model of care for elderly patients with multiple conditions, including cancer. The objective? To improve the overall quality of life for patients whilst reducing the cost of care. A personalised treatment plan centred on the needs of each patient. Professor Pierre Soubeyran, a medical oncologist, research director at the Bergonié Institute and scientific coordinator of the Geronte consortium, explains.
Pierre Soubeyran: The ageing of the population in Europe is accompanied by an increase in the number of people living with multiple conditions, including cancer. Among people aged 65 to 84, the proportion of patients with multimorbidity stands at 65%, rising to 81% among those aged 85 or over. This situation complicates the patient journey, which is still largely organised around individual medical specialities. As a result, decisions are often made in isolation, information is scattered, and treatments can sometimes be difficult to coordinate. We must move towards care pathways based on a holistic view of these patients. It is to address this challenge that the Geronte project, led by the University of Bordeaux and funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 programme, has been developing a new, truly patient-centred model for organising geriatric oncology care since 2021. Its aim is twofold: to improve the quality of life and preserve independence for older patients, whilst contributing to greater efficiency in healthcare systems.
PS: Today, a patient with cancer and multiple conditions consults various specialists, each of whom has access to only part of the patient’s medical information. Geronte proposes to coordinate this expertise around a holistic view of the patient. At the heart of the system, an advanced practice nurse becomes the patient’s primary point of contact. The nurse coordinates communication between the various healthcare professionals - oncologists, geriatricians, GPs and other specialists - who come together within a consortium of professionals tasked with regularly reassessing the patient’s condition. The aim is to reach truly shared decisions, taking into account not only the medical data but also each patient’s individual goals. Is their priority to be cured? To regain independence? To relieve symptoms? Because the patient has a full say in the decision. This coordination of care via a single point of contact helps healthcare professionals make decisions and save time, whilst promoting patients’ autonomy and independence. In short, patients receive better care and support that is tailored as closely as possible to their needs.
PS: To make this new pathway possible, Geronte relies on a digital tool developed specifically for the project with the help of a specialist firm, comprising two components. The first, MyPatientSpace Dashboard, is a shared dashboard intended for healthcare professionals. It brings together in a single space medical information, current treatments, other conditions, the patient’s functional abilities, as well as their personal preferences and the goals they wish to prioritise. It is populated and managed by the nurse, who can look after between 30 and 40 people. The second, MyPatientSpace Patient App, is an app designed for patients, through which they can access all their data. From home, they can report their symptoms daily via an online questionnaire, enabling healthcare teams to monitor their general condition and, where necessary, arrange an intervention to optimise their care. The tool also includes a personalised digital library providing access to tailored advice to help patients better self-manage certain symptoms and increase their independence. This continuous monitoring should make it possible to anticipate complications, intervene at an earlier stage and reduce the number of emergency admissions.
PS: To assess the effectiveness of this new approach, Geronte has launched two major European clinical trials via the EUCLID platform, which is responsible for their methodological and operational coordination: FRONE, being conducted in France, and IMPLEMENT, being conducted in five countries - France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and Italy. The FRONE study involves patients (around 400) aged over 70 with breast, lung, colorectal or prostate cancer, who also have at least one other significant chronic condition. In particular, the researchers are assessing the impact of this care pathway on quality of life at six months, independence, hospital admissions and overall healthcare costs. Meanwhile, the IMPLEMENT study, led by Bocconi University in Italy and conducted across five countries, is analysing the current state of care for complex patients and will analyse the results of FRONE. We are currently assessing the barriers to its adoption in routine clinical practice. In my view, this will take around five years. Changing practices, integrating digital tools into the day-to-day work of teams, and repositioning the role of the nurse as the patient’s primary point of contact – all of this requires a genuine cultural shift. It is not easy, but we are convinced that this change is essential for everyone’s well-being.
PS: Geronte is led by a highly qualified interdisciplinary consortium comprising European experts (ten partners, seven countries). The University of Bordeaux is responsible for the scientific coordination of the international consortium, working closely with the Bergonié Institute, Bordeaux University Hospital and Inserm. It also oversees the methodology of the clinical trials. This responsibility reflects the recognition of Bordeaux’s expertise in geriatric oncology. Geronte now places Bordeaux amongst the leading European players in this field. This momentum is the result of a collective effort bringing together researchers, clinicians, patients, industrial partners and research support teams. In this regard, I would like to highlight the excellent support provided by the Proposals & Projects Support Office (SMSP) of the university's Research and valorisation division, which we have benefited from throughout the development and management of the project.
PS: We are proud and pleased with the progress we have made. But we still have work to do. We have launched a new European programme, coordinated this time by Italian partners. Its aim is to evaluate this model under conditions even closer to everyday practice, in order to prepare for its gradual integration into healthcare systems. Because, beyond oncology, the teams are already considering adapting this model to other diseases. This prospect could turn Geronte into a genuine testing ground for the care pathways of the future for all patients living with multiple conditions.
Journalist
stephanie.beraud-sudreau%40u-bordeaux.fr
