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 ) .
Geriatric assessment in elderly patients with prostate cancer.
As a result of demographic evolution , oncologists will treat more and more elderly patients with prostate cancer . Aging is frequently associated with the coexistence of several medical complications that can increase the complexity of cancer treatment decision-making . Unfortunately , clinical oncologists need to be more familiar with the multidimensional assessment of elderly patients . To acquire this skill , we implemented a multidimensional geriatric assessment program at our cancer center . This instrument prospect ively assessed 60 elderly patients with prostate cancer . Herein , we describe geriatric aspects detected in our patient sample and report treatment options proposed to elderly patients with prostate cancer at different disease stages . The minimal comprehensive geriatric assessment ( mini-CGA ) procedure revealed that 66 % of our patient population was dependent in one or more of the Katz Activities of Daily Living and 87 % were dependent in 1 or more of the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living ; all patients had significant comorbidity according to the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatrics  , 75 % having at least one severe comorbidity . We identified 19 cases of drug interaction . We also observed that half of these patients had a risk of falling and some physical disability ; 45 % had cognitive disorders requiring more investigation ; one third had depressive symptoms . Finally , 65 % of the patients were either malnourished or at risk of malnutrition . Many of these problems were unknown before the mini-CGA processing and may interfere with cancer and cancer treatment . Thus , the correct management of elderly patients with cancer requires comprehensive geriatric assessment as well as relevant disease staging at diagnosis . This approach will help us to propose the most appropriate treatment with the main aim of preserving quality of life
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 ) .