title: Screening tools for multidimensional health problems warranting a geriatric assessment in older cancer patients: an update on SIOG recommendations†.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Screening tools are proposed to identify those older cancer patients in need of geriatric assessment (GA) and multidisciplinary approach. We aimed to update the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) 2005 recommendations on the use of screening tools.
  
  
  METHODS
  SIOG composed a task group to review, interpret and discuss evidence on the use of screening tools in older cancer patients. A systematic review was carried out and discussed by an expert panel, leading to a consensus statement on their use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four studies reporting on the use of 17 different screening tools in older cancer patients were identified. The tools most studied in older cancer patients are G8, Flemish version of the Triage Risk Screening Tool (fTRST) and Vulnerable Elders Survey-13 (VES-13). Across all studies, the highest sensitivity was observed for: G8, fTRST, Oncogeriatric screen, Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status, Senior Adult Oncology Program (SAOP) 2 screening and Gerhematolim. In 11 direct comparisons for detecting problems on a full GA, the G8 was more or equally sensitive than other instruments in all six comparisons, whereas results were mixed for the VES-13 in seven comparisons. In addition, different tools have demonstrated associations with outcome measures, including G8 and VES-13.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screening tools do not replace GA but are recommended in a busy practice in order to identify those patients in need of full GA. If abnormal, screening should be followed by GA and guided multidisciplinary interventions. Several tools are available with different performance for various parameters (including sensitivity for addressing the need for further GA). Further research should focus on the ability of screening tools to build clinical pathways and to predict different outcome parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Oncologisch Centrum, UZ Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels lore.decoster@uzbrussel.be.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Decoster
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medecine, UZ Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Puyvelde
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohile
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wedding
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology 1 Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colloca
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rostoft
authors.affiliation: Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Nursing, Columbus, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Overcash
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medical Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wildiers
authors.affiliation: Border Medical Oncology, Wodonga, Australia.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steer
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kimmick
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kanesvaran
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, S. Paolo Hospital, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luciani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Léon-Bérard, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Terret
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hurria
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medical Oncology and Geriatric Medecine, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kenis
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Liverpool, St Helens Teaching Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Audisio
authors.affiliation: Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Extermann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms
keywords: geriatric assessment; older cancer patients; screening tools