GLYPALCARE STUDY - Multicenter, Randomized Study for Evaluating Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) by Using FreeStyle Libre 2 (FSL2) for Preventing Hyperglycemia/Hypoglycemia Crisis in Advanced Oncological Patients With Known/Newly Diagnosed Type I/Type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in Palliative Care/ Supportive Care (PC/SC) Setting.

Diabete Mellitus (DM) represents an emerging factor with an impact on the severity and the management of symptoms (pain, dyspnoea, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dehydration) in PC/SC patients leading to a reduced QoL of patients and family members. It has been noted that infrequent Blood Glucose (BG) monitoring might result in a not clear definition about whether symptoms are associated with the dying process or caused by diabetes, leading to inadequate symptoms management.

It is estimated that more than 30% of PC/SC patients can be affected by DM type I or type II. The incidence of diabetes seems to be six times greater in cancer patients than in the general population.

Despite this high incidence, implementation of standard Guidelines on monitoring BG levels in the PC/SC setting is lacking and the existing Guidelines are mainly based on expert experience rather than real data obtained from well design studies as evidenced by a recent review. Currently, the available tool used to evaluate BG in PC/SC patients is mainly represented by the punctual finger-samples procedure, which is usually performed only when there is a suspect of hyperglycemia/hypoglycemia or routinely in PC patients with known DM before meals administration. Punctual finger-samples procedure has many limitations: it is uncomfortable and painful for patients, it requires training to patients and family members by Health Care Providers (HCPs) and requires time to HPCs for preparing/conducting the procedures. As a consequence, BG monitoring in PC/SC patients (especially in home care settings) with known DM and newly diagnosed DM is very poorly and infrequently performed and represents a real unmet medical need.

Recently, a very innovative device, Freestyle Libre 2 (FSL2) (Abbott), has obtained a CE mark for Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) in diabetic patients. The system includes a self-applied sensor with a size of two-stacked quarters, that is easy to apply on the back of the upper arm; it employs a pre-calibrated sensor that measures the tissue glucose concentration repeatedly for two weeks and has a duration of accuracy measurements of 14 consecutive days; interstitial Glucose levels are easily check with a painless one-second scan by a smartphone App or a Reader with results represented by latest glucose concentration and trend direction. The scan with the App or the Reader should be applied at least every 8 hours in order to have the recording of the glucose level. FSL2 has real-time glucose alarms that notify if glucose level is going too low or too high (Free Style Libre 2 User's Manual).

The rationale of the proposed study is based on the CGM system using FSL2, that is highly matching the need of Glucose level monitoring in PC/SC patients with known or newly diagnosed (i.e. iatrogenic) DM. FSL2 has no/very little discomfort for patients and it is not painful, it is easy to apply, it is not time-spending for family members and HCPs and it requires very brief training for patients and family members. The alarm system of FSL2 can aware patients, family members and HCPs at any moment when the glucose level is over a predefined cut off value, allowing to implement the appropriate interventions (i.e. insulin administration or insulin dose adjustment) in order to prevent and manage Symptomatic hyperglycemia crisis. The recent International Consensus on Recommendations on CGM data interpretation are showing that in particularly frail population, Glucose level are maintained for 50% of the time in a range between 70 mg/dL and 180 mg/dL and for 50% of the time in a range between 180 mg/dl and 250 mg/dl. According to that Recommendations, the alarm could be activated when glucose is over a cut off level of 180 mg/dL. The alarm activation allows patients themselves, family members, HCPs to provide patients with the most appropriate intervention (i.e. administration or adjustment of insulin dosage) in order to prevent glucose level reaching the peak of severe hyperglycemia (>250 mg/dl).