title: A Questionnaire Study to Assess the Value of the Vulnerable Elders Survey, G8, and Predictors of Toxicity as Screening Tools for Frailty and Toxicity in Geriatric Cancer Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to identify an appropriate screening instrument for the identification of frail elderly patients in a tertiary cancer center. In order to improve cancer care for older patients, the use of a geriatric assessment (GA) has been proposed to identify frail patients or those who are at a higher risk for chemotherapy-related toxicities. In busy clinical routine, an appropriate screening instrument could be used to spare time- and resource-consuming application of GA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered the Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13), G8 questionnaire, and Predictors of Toxicity (POT) as well as a GA at the first visit of 84 consecutive patients at a single Comprehensive Cancer Center. Analysis for patients' characteristics as well as sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value (npv) was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the patients was 73 years (range 63-93 years), 61.9% were male, most (63%) suffered from gastrointestinal tumors, 39.3% had a multiple cancer diagnosis, and 53.6% had metastasis. 30 (35.7%) individuals were classified as 'frail' by the GA. Sensitivity of G8 was 38.3%, and the npv was 63.8%. Sensitivity for VES-13 was 57.1%, and npv was 76.3%. Sensitivity of POT was 72.7%, and the npv was 80.6%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the first time, the VES-13, G8, and POT are compared in a sample of older German patients. The POT seems to be a sufficient screening tool to identify frail patients in a tertiary referral cancer center and helps to save time and resources compared with a complete GA.
authors.affiliation: University Cancer Center, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Leopold
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hentschel
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rentsch
authors.forename: Felicitas
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hornemann
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ehninger
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000145:classification* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data