title: Comprehensive geriatric assessment for older patients with cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  During the last decade, oncologists and geriatricians have begun to work together to integrate the principles of geriatrics into oncology care. The increasing use of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is one example of this effort. A CGA includes an evaluation of an older individual's functional status, comorbid medical conditions, cognition, nutritional status, psychological state, and social support; and a review of the patient's medications. This article discusses recent advances on the use of a CGA in older patients with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this article, we provide an update on the studies that address the domains of a geriatric assessment applied to the oncology patient, review the results of the first studies evaluating the use of a CGA in developing interventions to improve the care of older adults with cancer, and discuss future research directions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The evidence from recent studies demonstrates that a CGA can predict morbidity and mortality in older patients with cancer. Accumulating data show the benefits of incorporating a CGA in the evaluation of older patients with cancer. Prospective trials evaluating the utility of a CGA to guide interventions to improve the quality of cancer care in older adults are justified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Growing evidence demonstrates that the variables examined in a CGA can predict morbidity and mortality in older patients with cancer, and uncover problems relevant to cancer care that would otherwise go unrecognized.
authors.affiliation: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. extermann@moffitt.usf.edu
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Extermann
authors.forename: Arti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hurria
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D015897:Comorbidity; D019468:Disease Management; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D009752:Nutritional Status; D019338:Polypharmacy; D012944:Social Support