Methods for frailty screening and geriatric assessment in older adults with cancer

Abstract

Purpose of review: This review highlights the latest development in the use of geriatric assessment(GA) and frailty assessment for older adults with cancer.

Recent findings: From 2019, there were six large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) completed of GA for older adults with cancer, as well as several studies of frailty screening tools.

Summary: The findings in this review highlight the benefits of implementing GA, followed by interventions to address the identified issues (GA -guided interventions). Four of six RCTs that implemented GA for older adults with cancer showed positive impact on various outcomes, including treatment toxicity and quality of life. GA implementation varied significantly between studies, from oncologist acting on GA summary, geriatrician comanagement, to full GA by a multidisciplinary team. However, there were several barriers reported to implementing GA for all older adults with cancer, such as access to geriatrics and resource issues. Future research needs to elucidate how to best operationalize GA in various cancer settings. The authors also reviewed frailty screening tools and latest evidence on their use and impact.