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 ) .
Carboplatin/cyclophosphamide or carboplatin/paclitaxel in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer? Analysis of two consecutive trials from the Groupe d'Investigateurs Nationaux pour l'Etude des Cancers Ovariens.
BACKGROUND To determine the feasibility of two chemotherapy regimens in elderly patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma ( AOC ) . PATIENTS AND METHODS Eighty-three patients > or=70 years were previously enrolled in a trial evaluating carboplatin and cyclophosphamide ( CC ) .  On the basis of identical eligibility criteria , 75 further patients were enrolled in a trial evaluating carboplatin and paclitaxel ( Taxol ) ( CP ) . The primary end point of these studies was the feasibility of six courses of chemotherapy  .  Comprehensive geriatric assessment ( CGA ) parameters were assessed in terms of prognostic factors . RESULTS More patients in the CC group presented with performance status of two or more , depression symptoms , use of co-medications , hypoalbuminemia , abnormal Mini-Mental Status score , or sub-optimal surgery . Both regimens appeared feasible : 75.6 % in the CC group and 68.1 % in the CP group completed six courses . CC and CP groups had similar overall survival ( OS ) . Independent prognostic factors of poorer OS were the following : increasing age ( P = 0.013 ) , depression symptoms at baseline ( P < 0.001 ) , International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IV ( P = 0.001 ) , and use of paclitaxel ( P = 0.025 ) . CONCLUSION As this is a non-r and omised retrospective review of two consecutive studies , no firm conclusion can be drawn . It seems , however , that in elderly patients with AOC the use of paclitaxel results in more toxicity . CGA parameters and particularly emotional disorders might help to determine a priori the risk/benefit ratio of chemotherapy in this patient population
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 ) .