Studies of comprehensive geriatric assessment in patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has been developed to individually assess the health status of older patients. METHODS This article reviews the findings regarding the impact of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) on treatment and outcomes in patients with cancer. RESULTS Several geriatric variables have been linked with the prognosis of older cancer patients, thus challenging the role of ECOG performance status in this population. A CGA may detect multiple untreated or undertreated problems in cancer patients. Although results are preliminary, some studies suggest that CGA may influence cancer treatment decisions and have a prognostic impact on patients with this disease. CONCLUSIONS More work is needed to simplify such assessments to make them more feasible and to determine when they should be used during a patient's clinical course.