Comprehensive geriatric assessment (original) (raw)

Use of comprehensive geriatric assessment in older cancer patients

Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, 2005

Background: As more and more cancers occur in elderly people, oncologists are increasingly confronted with the necessity of integrating geriatric parameters in the treatment of their patients. Methods: The International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) created a task force to review the evidence on the use of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in cancer patients. A systematic review of the evidence was conducted. Results: Several biological and clinical correlates of aging have been identified. Their relative weight and clinical usefulness is still poorly defined. There is strong evidence that a CGA detects many problems missed by a regular assessment in general geriatric and in cancer patients. There is also strong evidence that a CGA improves function and reduces hospitalization in the elderly. There is heterogeneous evidence that it improves survival and that it is cost-effective. There is corroborative evidence from a few studies conducted in cancer patients. Screening tools exist and were successfully used in settings such as the emergency room, but globally were poorly tested. The article contains recommendations for the use of CGA in research and clinical care for older cancer patients. Conclusions: A CGA, with or without screening, and with follow-up, should be used in older cancer patients, in order to detect unaddressed problems, improve their functional status, and possibly their survival. The task force cannot recommend any specific tool or approach above others at this point and general geriatric experience should be used.

Utilization of comprehensive geriatric assessment in cancer patients

Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology, 2004

A growing and diverse aging population, recent advances in research on aging and cancer, and the fact that a disproportional burden of cancer still occurs in people aged 65 years and older have generated great interest in delivering better cancer care for older adults. This is particularly true as more survivors of cancer live to experience cancer as a chronic disease. Cancer and its treatment precipitate classic geriatric syndromes such as falls, malnutrition, delirium, and urinary incontinence. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), by taking all patient's needs into account and by incorporating patient's wishes for the level of aggressiveness of treatment, offers a model of integrating medical care with social support services. It holds the promise of controlling health care costs while improving quality of care by providing a better match of services to patient needs. Three decades after the CGA was initially developed in England, oncologists have begun taking notice on the potential benefits that CGA might bring to the field of geriatric oncology. This article describes the utilization of the CGA in cancer patients with an eye toward promoting interdisciplinary care for older cancer patients. To set an initial context, a search of computerized databases took place, using "comprehensive geriatric assessment" and "cancer" as keywords. A selection of literature from between 1980 and 2003 was reviewed. Additional articles were identified through the bibliography of relevant articles.

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in the Older Adult with Cancer: A Review

European Urology Focus, 2017

Context: The number of older adults with cancer is expected to increase rapidly in the upcoming decades. Aging is heterogeneous and chronological age is often not reflective of biological age. A comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is an in-depth assessment of multiple domains of health that results in better assessment of a patient's overall health and fitness and allows directed intervention to improve patient outcomes. Objective: To review the value of CGA for older adults with cancer, CGA composition and tools that can be utilized, and the feasibility of including CGA in oncologic practice. Evidence acquisition: The currently available evidence on CGA for older adults with cancer was reviewed. Evidence synthesis: A CGA can highlight unidentified health problems and identify patients at higher risk of mortality, functional decline, surgical complications, chemotherapy intolerance, and chemotherapy toxicity. It has been shown that CGA is feasible in the oncology clinic, but geriatric screening tools may be useful to specifically identify patients who would benefit from a full CGA. Conclusions: CGA is feasible and can identify patients at higher risk of adverse events such as mortality, functional decline, surgical complications, and chemotherapy toxicity. Clinicians should consider incorporating CGA when assessing and caring for older adults with cancer. Patient summary: In this report, we review the benefits of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), a detailed in-depth assessment that identifies health problems not typically identified during routine assessments, for older adults with cancer. We describe the different domains of the CGA and suggest tools to utilize, as well as ways to incorporate CGA into the cancer care setting.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment in older patients with cancer: Two steps forward?

Journal of Geriatric Oncology, 2013

Multiple organizations, including the International Society of Geriatric Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, have recommended that all older adults (usually defined as age 70 or older) with cancer undergo a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) at the time of diagnosis and/or prior to treatment decision-making. 1,2 CGA has three key goals in the oncology setting:

Inside the Black Box: A Narrative Review on Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment-Driven Interventions in Older Adults with Cancer

Cancers, 2022

There is a consensus that the use of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is good clinical practice for older patients with solid tumors or hematological malignancies. To be complete, a CGA must include a geriatric assessment and an intervention plan. According to the SIOG consensus, a CGA should assess several domains: functional status, comorbidity, cognition, mental health status, fatigue, social status and support, nutrition, and the presence of geriatric syndromes. Progress has been made in the definition of the best way to detect problems, but the benefits are mostly based on prognosis stratification and on the adaptation of cancer treatment. The present review aims to evaluate the level of evidence regarding geriatric interventions proposed following the detection of a problem in cancer patients in each domain mentioned in the SIOG consensus. An online search of the PubMed database was performed using predefined search algorithms specific for each domain of the CGA. Eligi...

International Society of Geriatric Oncology Consensus on Geriatric Assessment in Older Patients With Cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2014

To update the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) 2005 recommendations on geriatric assessment (GA) in older patients with cancer. Methods SIOG composed a panel with expertise in geriatric oncology to develop consensus statements after literature review of key evidence on the following topics: rationale for performing GA; findings from a GA performed in geriatric oncology patients; ability of GA to predict oncology treatment-related complications; association between GA findings and overall survival (OS); impact of GA findings on oncology treatment decisions; composition of a GA, including domains and tools; and methods for implementing GA in clinical care. Results GA can be valuable in oncology practice for following reasons: detection of impairment not identified in routine history or physical examination, ability to predict severe treatment-related toxicity, ability to predict OS in a variety of tumors and treatment settings, and ability to influence treatment choice and intensity. The panel recommended that the following domains be evaluated in a GA: functional status, comorbidity, cognition, mental health status, fatigue, social status and support, nutrition, and presence of geriatric syndromes. Although several combinations of tools and various models are available for implementation of GA in oncology practice, the expert panel could not endorse one over another. Conclusion There is mounting data regarding the utility of GA in oncology practice; however, additional research is needed to continue to strengthen the evidence base.

Optimal management of elderly cancer patients: usefulness of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment

Clinical interventions in aging, 2014

Cancer is common in older patients, who raise specific treatment challenges due to aging-related, organ-specific physiologic changes and the presence in most cases of comorbidities capable of affecting treatment tolerance and outcomes. Identifying comorbid conditions and physiologic changes due to aging allows oncologists to better assess the risk/benefit ratio and to adjust the treatment accordingly. Conducting a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is one approach developed for this purpose. We reviewed the evidence on the usefulness of CGA for assessing health problems and predicting cancer treatment outcomes, functional decline, morbidity, and mortality in older patients with solid malignancies. We searched Medline for articles published in English between January 1, 2000 and April 14, 2014, and reporting prospective observational or interventional studies of CGA feasibility or effectiveness in patients aged ≥65 years with solid malignancies. We identified studies with at le...

Evaluation of a comprehensive geriatric assessment tool in geriatric cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy: a pilot study

Supportive Care in Cancer, 2018

Purpose It is recommended to use comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in clinical oncology practice to improve care for geriatric cancer patients and to identify medical and social issues that may need further intervention. The purpose of this pragmatic pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Hurria et al. CGA in cancer patients 70 years of age or older undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy, as well as the feasibility of integrating it into a busy clinic practice and the psychosocial impact on these patients. Method Twenty-five patients were recruited. Descriptive analysis was performed via a geriatric assessment questionnaire completed by the participants prior to their first adjuvant chemotherapy treatment and during follow-up, 2 to 6 weeks after last treatment. Additionally, study staff performed a geriatric healthcare assessment at both time points. Results The results of this pilot study show that administration is feasible despite some challenges. Administration of a CGA in a clinic setting presented some logistical issues with regard to time and space available in clinic. Analysis of patient data indicated only minor variations in patient domains from pre-chemo to post-chemo confirming previous research. Participants expressed gratitude for the extra time spent with them at a stressful time in their lives. Conclusion Further information regarding the usefulness of a comprehensive geriatric assessment with regard to improving treatment selection, identifying undetected medical problems, and avoiding toxicity will be obtained if the administration of comprehensive geriatric questionnaires is incorporated into the clinic setting and considered into the allocated time for staff workload.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment test in elderly cancer patients

Sudan Medical Monitor, 2015

Background: Cancer is the first cause of the death among the people with 65-75 years age, and about 60% of cancers are diagnosed at age over 70. In this study, the impact of comprehensive geriatric assessments (CGAs) on the quality and the length of life in disabled elderly cancer patients were evaluated. Patients and Methods: In an interventional study, 70 patients with cancer were randomly divided into two treatment and control groups. The patients were evaluated during a 6-month study using CGA test. Results: The patient's mean age was 4.2 ± 67.1 years. It was shown that CGA intervention had no impact on physical activity tests, including instrumental activities of daily living and activities of daily living, but a significant improvement was shown in patient's psychological status using geriatric depression test. Conclusions: The results of the current study showed that CGA interventions have a positive effect on the quality of the life of the elderly cancer patients.