Geriatric assessment  was most often completed to describe a patient 's health and functional status .
Geriatric assessment  in the oncology setting is feasible , and some domains are associated with adverse outcomes .
However , there is limited evidence that geriatric assessment impacted treatment decision making .
BACKGROUND Geriatric assessment is a multidisciplinary diagnostic process that evaluates the older adult 's medical , psychological , social , and functional capacity .
No systematic review of the use of geriatric assessment in oncology has been conducted .
The goals of this systematic review were : 1 ) to provide an overview of all geriatric assessment instruments used in the oncology setting ; 2 ) to examine the feasibility and psychometric properties of those instruments ; and 3 ) to systematic ally evaluate the effectiveness of geriatric assessment in predicting or modifying outcomes ( including the impact on treatment decision making , toxicity of treatment , and mortality ) .
Implementing a geriatric assessment in cooperative group clinical cancer trials: CALGB 360401.
PURPOSE Factors captured in a geriatric assessment can predict morbidity and mortality in older adults , but are not routinely measured in cancer clinical trials . This study evaluated the implementation of a geriatric assessment tool in the cooperative group setting . PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients age ≥ 65 with cancer , who enrolled on cooperative group cancer trials , were eligible to enroll on Cancer and Leukemia Group B ( CALGB ) 360401 . They completed a  geriatric assessment tool  before initiation of protocol therapy , consisting of valid and reliable geriatric assessment measures which are primarily self-administered and require minimal re sources and time by healthcare providers . The assessment measures functional status , comorbidity , cognitive function , psychological state , social support , and nutritional status . The protocol specified criteria for incorporation of the tool in future cooperative group trials was based on the time to completion and percent of patients who could complete their portion without assistance . Patient satisfaction with the tool was captured . RESULTS Of the 93 patients who enrolled in this study , five ( 5 % ) met criteria for cognitive impairment and three did not complete the cognitive screen , leaving 85 assessable patients ( median age , 72 years ) . The median time to complete the geriatric assessment tool  was 22 minutes , 87 % of patients ( n = 74 ) completed their portion without assistance , 92 % ( n = 78 ) were satisfied with the question naire length , 95 % ( n = 81 ) reported no difficult questions , and 96 % ( n = 82 ) reported no up setting questions . One hundred percent of health care professionals completed their portion . CONCLUSION This brief , primarily self-administered  geriatric assessment tool met the protocol specified criteria for inclusion in future cooperative group clinical trials
Geriatric assessment  was most often completed to describe a patient 's health and functional status .
Geriatric assessment  in the oncology setting is feasible , and some domains are associated with adverse outcomes .
However , there is limited evidence that geriatric assessment impacted treatment decision making .
BACKGROUND Geriatric assessment is a multidisciplinary diagnostic process that evaluates the older adult 's medical , psychological , social , and functional capacity .
No systematic review of the use of geriatric assessment in oncology has been conducted .
The goals of this systematic review were : 1 ) to provide an overview of all geriatric assessment instruments used in the oncology setting ; 2 ) to examine the feasibility and psychometric properties of those instruments ; and 3 ) to systematic ally evaluate the effectiveness of geriatric assessment in predicting or modifying outcomes ( including the impact on treatment decision making , toxicity of treatment , and mortality ) .